Effect of carbon nanofiber functionalization on the adsorption properties of volatile organic compounds

The effect of the chemical activation, using HNO3, of a commercial carbon nanofiber (CNF) on its surface chemistry and adsorption properties is studied in this work. The adsorption of different alkanes (linear and cyclic), aromatic compounds and chlorohydrocarbons on both the parent and the oxidized CNF were compared. Temperature-programmed desorption results, in agreement with X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy experiments, reveal the existence of oxygen groups on the surface of the treated CNF. Capacity of adsorption was derived from the adsorption isotherms, whereas thermodynamic properties (enthalpy of adsorption, surface free energy characteristics) have been determined from chromatographic retention data. Both the capacity and the strength of adsorption decrease after the oxidant treatment of the carbon nanofibers, although in the case of chlorinated compounds the specific component of the surface energy shows an important increase. For n-alkanes and cyclic compounds, it was demonstrated that the presence of oxygen surface groups does not affect their interaction, the morphology of the surface being the key parameter. The oxidation of the nanofiber leads to steric limitations of the adsorption. In the adsorption of aromatic compounds, these limitations are compensated by the nucleophilic interactions between the aromatic ring and surface oxygenated groups, leading to similar performances of both materials. The absence of nucleophilic groups in the chlorinated compounds hinders their adsorption on the activated nanofibers.     

沸石分子筛材料在消除挥发性有机化合物反应中的吸附与催化性能

作为空气污染物的主要成分之一,挥发性有机化合物(VOCs)会极大地破坏生态环境并损害人体健康。在众多消除 VOCs的方法中,吸附法由于操作简单、成本低廉的优势而在工业上得以广泛应用。催化燃烧法则因去除效率高,适用范围广且无二次污染等优点被认为是 VOCs消除最有效的手段之一。
　　目前,活性炭是最常用的 VOCs吸附剂,但存在再生困难、抗湿性差、易燃等诸多问题。与活性炭等常规吸附剂相比,沸石分子筛作为 VOCs吸附剂其主要优势在于：(1)沸石分子筛的疏水性可调,通过调控分子筛骨架的硅铝比可以调节分子筛的亲疏水性,高硅铝比的沸石分子筛有着优异的疏水性能,从而可以有效降低在一定湿度条件下水对 VOCs分子的竞争吸附;(2)均一的孔径分布可以有效地进行分子识别,从而使吸附剂对VOCs的选择性吸附性大大提高;(3)沸石分子筛一般由硅铝构成,本身不可燃且水热稳定性好,因此能够与微波加热等其他手段相结合以降低吸附剂重生能耗,提高操作安全性;(4)沸石分子筛比表面积大,吸附容量高,是作为蜂窝转轮吸附技术中吸附剂的理想材料,而该技术是目前工业大规模消除VOCs的研究热点。因此,沸石分子筛由于其独特的性质,被视为一种简单高效、选择性好的VOCs吸附剂。现阶段,催化燃烧VOCs所使用的催化剂常用金属氧化物作为载体,但是金属氧化物比表面积相对较小且孔道结构不均一,因此严重影响了催化剂对VOCs的催化燃烧效率,限制了催化燃烧活性的提高。而与金属氧化物载体相比,沸石分子筛材料具有均一的孔道结构以及相对较大的比表面积等优点,而将具有较好吸附选择性和吸附容量的沸石分子筛作为载体,负载活性组分后可以实现催化剂催化燃烧性能的显著提高,从而成为VOCs催化燃烧的理想催化剂。
　　本文综述了目前沸石分子筛材料作为吸附剂和催化剂载体的负载型催化剂消除各类VOCs的研究进展。对于沸石分子筛作为VOCs吸附剂,我们小结了影响其吸附容量和吸附选择性的因素,发现分子筛的孔道大小和阳离子类型与VOCs的吸附情况密切相关。在此基础上,进一步简单介绍了分子筛蜂窝吸附转轮技术的研究现状。对于沸石分子筛作为催化剂载体,我们总结了其用于各类VOCs催化燃烧的研究情况,如烷烃类、芳烃类和醛类等。探究了催化性能的影响因素及相应的催化机理,发现分子筛的孔道结构、阳离子类型、硅铝比等都会显著影响沸石分子筛负载型催化剂的催化活性。最后,探讨了沸石分子筛应用于VOCs消除目前所存在的问题,同时展望了该领域未来的研究和发展方向。     

Purge vessel design in determinations of volatile organic compounds

Five purge vessels are described for use in determinations of volatile organics. Less conventional designs permit extension of the technique to untraditional samples, including soil and viscous glues.     

New methodologies in trace analysis of volatile organic compounds

Two methods for sampling and concentration of volatile organic compounds are reported. In the first method, traps coated with a very thick film (ca. 100 μm) of cross-linked silicone stationary phase are employed. Such thick films can be prepared with a modified dynamic coating procedure, which is briefly described. The low phase ratio traps can be utilized for enrichment of volatiles from gaseous as well as aqueous matrices. The second technique is based on chromatographic evaporation of a solvent in a capillary tube, where the process is sustained by a repeated sample injection and a cyclic flow reversal. In this way, large solvent volumes can be handled by a small volume system. Under optimal conditions, when using a solvent barrier, quantitative recovery is possible even for compounds of comparatively high volatility. Another important application of the technique is extraction of trace components from gases such as headspace samples, polluted air, etc.     

Sorbent trapping of volatile organic compounds from air

The use of sorbents in trapping volatile organic compounds in air for subsequent analysis is reviewed. Sorbents are classified in accordance with the mechanism used to recover the trapped compounds, either solvent or thermal desorption. The use of sorbents is contrasted with other sampling procedures, such as collecting whole air samples using canisters. New developments such as solid-phase microextraction are described. In particular, emphasis is placed on a holistic approach to sampling and analysis, and communication is encouraged between those who take samples in the field, and those who perform the analysis.     

Analysis of volatile organic compounds using gas chromatography

The focus of this review is the analysis of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) by gas chromatography (GC) in the field of environmental, food, flavour and fragrance, medical and forensic sciences. New trends in sample injection, separation and detection are covered, including multi-dimensional and high-speed GC. Attention is drawn to a growing interest in quality assessment. From the review, it is clear that it remains a challenge to generate multi-component gaseous standards of VOCs at ppbv and pptv.     

Determination of volatile organic compounds by headspace trap

A new analytical method for the determination of halogenated and aromatic volatile organic compounds in groundwater, mineral water, and drinking water at concentrations ranging between 1-10000 ng/L is developed. A new type of headspace sampler that combines static headspace sampling with a trap is used, yielding very low detection limits and good repeatability without carryover effects. An unexpected transformation of 1,1,2,2-tetrachloroethane into trichloroethene is observed and explained.     

The production of organic nitrates from various anthropogenic volatile organic compounds

Production of organic nitrates from OH reaction with cyclohexane, cyclohexene, n‐butane, 1‐bromopropane, and p‐xylene in the presence of NO was studied. The total organic nitrate yields for cyclohexane and n‐butane were determined to be 17 ± 4 and 7 ± 2% respectively, which is in good agreement with previous determinations. Total yields for cyclohexene, 1‐bromopropane, and p‐xylene were 2.5 ± 0.5, 1.2 ± 0.3, and 3.2 ± 0.7 respectively. The yield for cyclohexene was five times smaller than that for cyclohexane. The 1‐bromopropane yield is three times smaller that that for n‐propane, but similar to that for propene, indicating that the effect of Br substitution in the reactant may be similar to that for OH substitution. The only nitrooxy product detected for p‐xylene was 4‐methylbenzylnitrate, which was formed following H abstraction from either methyl group. No organic nitrate was detected for peroxy radicals produced from OH addition to the ring, which accounts for 90% of the OH oxidation of p‐xylene. The calculated k_3b/k₃ value for p‐methyl benzyl peroxy radicals (0.32) was slightly smaller than for n‐octyl peroxy radicals (0.39). These data imply that substituent inductive effects impact the k_3b/k₃ ratios. We found no significant difference in the k_3b/k₃ ratios for primary vs. secondary peroxy radicals of the same carbon chain. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Int J Chem Kinet 37: 675–685, 2005     

The properties of chromatomembrane cells in flow systems coupled to gas chromatography-analysis of volatile organic compounds

The economical use of modern analytical instrumentation requires an online-coupling of efficiently working flow-systems which automate both sampling and sample pretreatment. Whenever extraction and preconcentration procedures are necessary the application of chromatomembrane cells proved to be very worthwhile. On this occasion the analyte exchange takes place inside a block of biporous PTFE wherein the two immiscible phases come into contact with each other. A special enclosure enables water and the extracting nitrogen to flow independently through that block. In case of gaseous extractants the behavior of the biporous PTFE and its mechanical parameter have to be investigated precisely in order to overcome the special problems of trace analysis in gases. The gas-chromatographic detection of volatile organic compounds (VOC's) requires a discussion on the effects of gas-sorption and the kinetics of equilibration which should be taken into consideration for using the chromatomembrane cell as an extractor from waste water. The investigation realizes at least that a quick pretreatment is made possible and, however, sample sizes decrease remarkably in comparison with competing methods as head space analysis or purge and trap technique. The application of chromatomembrane cells permits reasonable accuracies with a limit of detection on the ng/l level.     

Identification of volatile organic compounds in flowers of Astragalus lagopoides

Composition of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in flowers of Astragalus lagopoides was studied using a hydrodistillation extraction procedure coupled with gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. The analyses allowed the identification of a number of 25 compounds, among which the presence of several bioactive aromatic derivatives such as guaiacol, eugenol, linalool, α- and 4-terpineol as well as nerol was attention-grabbing. Moreover, some other compounds like cyclohexane, 2-bromoethyl with repellent function also appeared to be present in the flower. As a result, the floral VOCs profile of A. lagopoides might reflect an adaptation to attract specialised pollinator insects. These findings provide important information for advances in understanding the ecological and evolutionary perspectives of pollination biology of the giant genus Astragalus.     

Sampling volatile organic compounds using a modified solid phase microextraction device

Headspace solid phase microextraction (headspace SPME) has been demonstrated to be an excellent solvent-free sampling method. One of the major factors contributing to the success of headspace SPME is the concentrating effect of the fiber coating toward organic compounds. The affinity of the fiber coating toward very volatile analytes, such as chloromethane, may, however, not be large enough for detection at the parts per trillion concentration level. Static headspace analysis, on the other hand, is very effective for these very volatile compounds. As analyte volatility decreases, the sensitivity of static headspace analysis drops. The complementary nature of these two sampling methods can be exploited by combining the SPME device with a gastight syringe. The sensitivity of the new sampling device is better than that of SPME for very volatile compounds or that of static headspace analysis for less volatile compounds. This new method can sample a wide range of compounds from chloromethane (b.p. −24°C) to bromoform (b.p. 149°C) with estimated limits of detection at the low parts per trillion level.     

Experimental approach to assess sorptive loss properties of volatile organic compounds in the sampling bag system

In this study, the sorptive loss patterns for volatile organic compounds were evaluated by gaseous standards containing 13 compounds (benzene, toluene, styrene, p‐xylene, methyl ethyl ketone, methyl isobutyl ketone, isobutyl alcohol, butyl acetate, acetaldehyde, propionaldehyde, butyraldehyde, isovaleraldehyde, and valeraldehyde). The gaseous standards, prepared initially at two contrasting concentration levels (40 and 4000 ppb) in a polyester aluminum bag, were measured after two consecutive transfers into empty bags. It indicates that the percent loss patterns, if assessed for all 13 target compounds, are affected most sensitively by the initial concentration levels of samples to yield 2.62 ± 2.22% (at 40 ppb) and 9.57 ± 6.74% (at 4000 ppb). Moreover, the sorptive loss patterns at high concentration samples (4000 ppb) tend to increase in relation with increasing molecular weight of target compounds, although such pattern disappears in low concentration samples (40 ppb). The observed loss patterns, if evaluated in relation to some key parameters like concentration or compound type, suggest the possibility that the sorptive loss of target compounds in storage media can occur in a predictable manner.     

Evaluation of a new graphitized carbon black employed in sampling volatile organic compounds

A new adsorbent, high-surface-area graphitized carbon black (HSGCB), with a surface area of 560 m²/g, superior to that of commonly traded graphitized carbons, was studied. The evaluation was performed in terms of breakthrough volumes and thermal desorption recoveries of substances representative of the main classes of organic compounds. HSGCB was found to be an interesting alternative to activated charcoal for volatile compounds in that it can be used in thermal desorption.     

Sampling and analysis of volatile organic compounds in air using a dualsorbent trap

Summary A dualsorbent trap containing graphitized carbon blacks was used for the collection of volatile and semi-volatile organic pollutants from the atmosphere of different workplaces and from an above-ground parking lot. The method proved to be sensitive, simple and reliable. Thermal desorption and solvent extraction methods followed by GC-MS analysis were employed.     

Kinetic study of addition of volatile organic compounds to a nitrifying sludge

The effects of different concentrations of several volatile organic compounds (VOC) such as ethanol, acetate, propionate, and butyrate ranging from 0 to 2000 mg/L as well as a mixture of volatile fatty acids (MVFA) at a 4:1:1 (acetate:propionate:butyrate) ratio on the nitrification rate in batch cultures were studied. The results showed that ethanol and acetate were consumed in a mixotrophic way by the nitrifying sludge. At a concentration of 500 mg/L, the nitrification rate of inhibition was different for each compound in which propionate and butyrate were the most inhibitory. At 2000 mg/L the inhibition was 80% with ethanol and 100% with acetate, propionate, and butyrate. With similar concentrations of MVFA, the inhibition was also similar to that in acetate. The effect of the addition of pulses of MVFA at a ratio of 4:1:1 during 14 h on the performance of the continuous nitrifying process with a hydraulic retention time of 3 d was also studied. No inhibition of the nitrification process was observed with pulses of 750–3000 mg of MVFA/L in the input of the reactor. The results in batch cultures suggest that the different degrees of inhibition of the nitrification process were related to the type of organic matter added. The noninhibitory effect of the organic matter in the continuous cultures on the nitrification efficiency of the nitrifying sludge might be related to the feeding pattern.     

Investigations on the peculiar permeation properties of volatile organic compounds and permanent gases through PTMSP

In contrast to common glassy polymers, poly(1-trimethylsilyl-1-propyne) (PTMSP), a high free volume glassy polymer, shows a preferable permeation of large condensable organic vapors in comparison to permanent gases. In order to investigate this phenomenon, a systematic permeability study over a large activity range has been performed on PTMSP with three types of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) as diffusing probes: toluene, dimethylketone and dichloromethane. PTMSP was synthesized with different catalytic systems (Nb or Ta based) able to induce controlled sub-molecular cis–trans structures. Whereas dimethylketone and dichloromethane permeability can be correctly described by a classical dual-mode equation, a peculiar bell shaped pattern was obtained for toluene, with a minimum permeability located at an activity value around a=0.3–0.4. In that case, only a dual-mode expression taking into account a concentration dependent diffusion coefficient can account for the results.

On the other hand some apparent conflicting data recorded from PTMSP brand new films were related to the microstructure of the polymer main chain thanks to ¹³C NMR spectroscopy analysis showing importance of cis- and trans-forms of the main chain of PTMSP. cis-Structure is more flexible and can be responsible for the creation of a higher density physical network (HDN) in polymeric matrix; conversely, trans-structure is more rigid and can provide lower density physical network (LDN). The higher permeability recorded for several probes through PTMSP synthesized with TaCl₅/Al(i-Bu)₃ catalytic system compared to those of NbCl₅ based polymer can be explained by the geometric difference of the macromolecule networks.     

Development of a gas standard reference material containing eighteen volatile organic compounds

Summary A procedure to prepare primary gas cylinder standards for eighteen volatile organic compounds (VOC's) at the 1–15 nmol/mol (ppb) level was developed. The gas standards that were prepared by this procedure were intercompared by using gas chromatography with flame ionization detection (GC-FID) and electron capture detection (GC-ECD). The data, gravimetric concentration of the standards versus the respective GC peak area response, were plotted for each compound and fitted using linear regression. The regression analysis showed excellent agreement among the standards for each compound. These gas standards were evaluated over a period of 2 years and were determined to be stable and accurate. This research resulted in the development of Standard Reference Material (SRM) 1804, which contains these 18 volatile organic compounds in nitrogen at a nominal concentration of 5 nmol/mol for each compound. A batch of cylinders containing the mixture was procured from a commercial supplier. Each cylinder in the batch was analyzed for each of the 18 components. The data showed that the batch was homogeneous and stable for 15 of the 18 organic compounds, resulting in certification and issuance of SRM 1804.