Synergetic effects of ultrasound and slightly acidic electrolyzed water against Staphylococcus aureus evaluated by flow cytometry and electron microscopy

This study evaluated the synergetic effects of ultrasound and slightly acidic electrolyzed water (SAEW) on the inactivation of Staphylococcus aureus using flow cytometry and electron microscopy. The individual ultrasound treatment for 10 min only resulted in 0.36 log CFU/mL reductions of S. aureus, while the SAEW treatment alone for 10 min resulted in 3.06 log CFU/mL reductions. The log reductions caused by combined treatment were enhanced to 3.68 log CFU/mL, which were greater than the sum of individual treatments. This phenomenon was referred to as synergistic effects. FCM analysis distinguished live and dead cells as well as revealed dynamic changes in the physiological states of S. aureus after different treatments. The combined treatment greatly reduced the number of viable but nonculturable (VBNC) bacteria to 0.07%; in contrast, a single ultrasound treatment for 10 min induced the formation of VBNC cells to 45.75%. Scanning and transmission electron microscopy analysis revealed that greater damage to the appearance and ultrastructure of S. aureus were achieved after combined ultrasound-SAEW treatment compared to either treatment alone. These results indicated that combining ultrasound with SAEW is a promising sterilization technology with potential uses for environmental remediation and food preservation.     

SDS bubbles functionalized with Gold nanoparticles and SERS applications

We present a method of incorporation of gold nanoparticles in SDS (sodium dodecyl sulfate) bubbles with a low polydispersity index (monodispersed nanoparticles). Both the bubbles and nanoparticles maintained their structural and morphologic properties after functionalization. The bubbles present a radio of 0.38 mm with a standard deviation of±0.018 mm. The gold nanoparticles were obtained with sucrose as the catalytic agent and ascorbic acid as the reducing agent. The nanoparticles display several geometric morphologies as well as sizes inferior to 50 nm, as observed in the images obtained with Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM). The optical properties were studied by optical absorption spectroscopy. The absorption band linked to the surface plasmon resonance (SPR) is located at 550 nm before and after the functionalization of the bubbles. Moreover, microscopic bubbles with a diameter smaller than 1 µm with the ability to stabilize nanoparticles in their surface were found in isolated regions of the sample. Additionally, the Surface Enhancement Raman Spectroscopy (SERS) properties of the colloid were analyzed with common drugs.     

Reductive dechlorination of 2,4-dichlorophenol by Pd/Fe nanoparticles prepared in the presence of ultrasonic irradiation

Palladium/Iron (Pd/Fe) nanoparticles were prepared by using ultrasound strengthened liquid phase reductive method to enhance dispersion and avoid agglomeration. The dechlorination of 2,4-dichlorophenol (2,4-DCP) by Pd/Fe nanoparticles was investigated to understand its feasibility for an in situ remediation of contaminated groundwater. Results showed that 2,4-DCP was first adsorbed by Pd/Fe nanoparticles, then quickly reduced to o-chlorophenol (o-CP), p-chlorophenol (p-CP), and finally to phenol (P). The induction of ultrasound during the preparation of Pd/Fe nanoparticles further enhanced the removal efficiency of 2,4-DCP, as a result, the phenol production rates increased from 65% (in the absence of ultrasonic irradiation) to 91% (in the presence of ultrasonic irradiation) within 2 h. Our data suggested that the dechlorination rate was dependent on various factors including Pd loading percentage over Fe⁰, Pd/Fe nanoparticles availability, temperature, mechanical stirring speed, and initial pH values. Up to 99.2% of 2,4-DCP was removed after 300 min reaction with these conditions: Pd loading percentage over Fe⁰ 0.3 wt.%, initial 2,4-DCP concentration 20 mg L^?1, Pd/Fe dosage 3 g L^?1, initial pH value 3.0, and reaction temperature 25 °C. The degradation of 2,4-DCP followed pseudo-first-order kinetics reaction and the apparent pseudo-first-order kinetics constant was 0.0468 min^?1.     

Sonosynthesis of gold nanoparticles from a geranium leaf extract

A rapid in situ biosynthesis of gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) is proposed in which a geranium (Pelargonium zonale) leaf extract was used as a non-toxic reducing and stabilizing agent in a sonocatalysis process based on high-power ultrasound. The synthesis process took only 3.5 min in aqueous solution under ambient conditions. The stability of the nanoparticles was studied by UV–Vis absorption spectroscopy with reference to the surface plasmon resonance (SPR) band. AuNPs have an average lifetime of about 8 weeks at 4 °C in the absence of light. The morphology and crystalline phase of the gold nanoparticles were characterized by transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The composition of the nanoparticles was evaluated by electron diffraction and X-ray energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS). A total of 80% of the gold nanoparticles obtained in this way have a diameter in the range 8–20 nm, with an average size of 12 ± 3 nm. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) indicated the presence of biomolecules that could be responsible for reducing and capping the biosynthesized gold nanoparticles. A hypothesis concerning the type of organic molecules involved in this process is also given. Experimental design linked to the simplex method was used to optimize the experimental conditions for this green synthesis route. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first time that a high-power ultrasound-based sonocatalytic process and experimental design coupled to a simplex optimization process has been used in the biosynthesis of AuNPs.     

Cavitation mapping by sonochemiluminescence with less bubble displacement induced by acoustic radiation force in a 1.2 MHz HIFU

An acoustic radiation force counterbalanced appliance was employed to map the cavitation distribution in water. The appliance was made up of a focused ultrasound transducer and an aluminum alloy reflector with the exactly same shape. They were centrosymmetry around the focus of the source transducer. Spatial–temporal dynamics of cavitation bubble clouds in the 1.2 MHz ultrasonic field within this appliance were observed in water. And they were mapped by sonochemiluminescence (SCL) recordings and high-speed photography. There were significant differences in spatial distribution and temporal evolution between normal group and counterbalanced group. The reflector could avoid bubble directional displacement induced by acoustic radiation force under certain electric power (⩽50 W). As a result, the SCL intensity in the pre-focal region was larger than that of normal group. In event of high electric power (⩾70 W), most of the bubbles were moving in acoustic streaming. When electric power decreased, bubbles kept stable and showed stripe structure in SCL images. Both stationary bubbles and moving bubbles have been captured, and exhibited analytical potential with respect to bubbles in therapeutic ultrasound.     

Effect of reaction temperature on the size and morphology of scorodite synthesized using ultrasound irradiation

Synthesis of scorodite (FeAsO₄·2H₂O) using dynamic action agglomeration and the oxidation effect from ultrasound irradiation was investigated. The effect of different reaction temperatures (90, 70, 50, and 30 °C) on the size and morphology of scorodite particles synthesized under O₂ gas flow and ultrasound irradiation was explored because the generation of fine bubbles depends on the solution temperature. At 90 °C, the size of scorodite particles was non-homogeneous (from fine particles (<1 μm) to large particles (>10 μm)). The oxidation–reduction potential (ORP) and yield at 90 °C showed lower values than those at 70 °C. The scorodite particles, including fine and non-homogeneous particles, were generated by a decrease in the oxidation of Fe(II) to Fe(III) and promotion of dissolution caused by the generation of radicals and jet flow from ultrasound irradiation. Using ultrasound irradiation in the synthesis of scorodite at low temperature (30 °C) resulted in the appearance of scorodite peaks in the X-ray diffraction (XRD) pattern after a reaction time of 3 h. The peaks became more intense with a reaction temperature of 50 °C and crystalline scorodite was obtained. Therefore, ultrasound irradiation can enable the synthesis of scorodite at 30 °C as well as the synthesis of large particles (>10 μm) at higher temperature. Oxide radicals and jet flow generated by ultrasound irradiation contributed significantly to the synthesis and crystal growth of scorodite.     

Role of H2O2 in the fluctuating patterns of COD (chemical oxygen demand) during the treatment of palm oil mill effluent (POME) using pilot scale triple frequency ultrasound cavitation reactor

Palm oil mill effluent (POME) is a highly contaminating wastewater due to its high chemical oxygen demand (COD) and biochemical oxygen demand (BOD). Conventional treatment methods require longer residence time (10–15 days) and higher operating cost. Owing to this, finding a suitable and efficient method for the treatment of POME is crucial. In this investigation, ultrasound cavitation technology has been used as an alternative technique to treat POME. Cavitation is the phenomenon of formation, growth and collapse of bubbles in a liquid. The end process of collapse leads to intense conditions of temperature and pressure and shock waves which assist various physical and chemical transformations. Two different ultrasound systems i.e. ultrasonic bath (37 kHz) and a hexagonal triple frequency ultrasonic reactor (28, 40 and 70 kHz) of 15 L have been used. The results showed a fluctuating COD pattern (in between 45,000 and 60,000 mg/L) while using ultrasound bath alone, whereas a non-fluctuating COD pattern with a final COD of 27,000 mg/L was achieved when hydrogen peroxide was introduced. Similarly for the triple frequency ultrasound reactor, coupling all the three frequencies resulted into a final COD of 41,300 mg/L compared to any other individual or combination of two frequencies. With the possibility of larger and continuous ultrasonic cavitational reactors, it is believed that this could be a promising and a fruitful green process engineering technique for the treatment of POME.     

Effect of gold nanoparticle size on acoustic cavitation using chemical dosimetry method

When a liquid is irradiated with high intensities of ultrasound irradiation, acoustic cavitation occurs. Acoustic cavitation generates free radicals from the breakdown of water and other molecules. Cavitation can be fatal to cells and is utilized to destroy cancer tumors. The existence of particles in liquid provides nucleation sites for cavitation bubbles and leads to decrease the ultrasonic intensity threshold needed for cavitation onset. In the present investigation, the effect of gold nanoparticles with appropriate amount and size on the acoustic cavitation activity has been shown by determining hydroxyl radicals in terephthalic acid solutions containing 15, 20, 28 and 35 nm gold nanoparticles sizes by using 1 MHz low level ultrasound. The effect of sonication intensity in hydroxyl radical production was considered.The recorded fluorescence signal in terephthalic acid solutions containing gold nanoparticles was considerably higher than the terephthalic acid solutions without gold nanoparticles at different intensities of ultrasound irradiation. Also, the results showed that the recorded fluorescence signal intensity in terephthalic acid solution containing finer size of gold nanoparticles was lower than the terephthalic acid solutions containing larger size of gold nanoparticles. Acoustic cavitation in the presence of gold nanoparticles can be used as a way for improving therapeutic effects on the tumors.     

Physicochemical characterization of black seed oil-milk emulsions through ultrasonication

The ultrasonic formation of stable emulsions of a bioactive material, black seed oil, in skim milk was investigated. The incorporation of 7% of black seed oil in pasteurised homogenized skim milk (PHSM) using 20 kHz high intensity ultrasound was successfully achieved. The effect of sonication time and acoustic power on the emulsion stability was studied. A minimum process time of 8 min at an applied acoustic power of 100 W was sufficient to produce emulsion droplets stable for at least 8 days upon storage at 4 ± 2 °C, which was confirmed through creaming stability, particle size, rheology and color analysis. Partially denatured whey proteins may provide stability to the emulsion droplets and in addition to the cavitation effects of ultrasound are responsible for the production of smaller sized emulsion droplets.     

Evaluation of the sonosensitizing properties of nano-graphene oxide in comparison with iron oxide and gold nanoparticles

In cancer hyperthermia, ultrasound is considered as an appropriate source of energy to achieve desired therapeutic levels of heating. It is assumed that such a heating is targeted to cancer cells by using nanoparticles as sonosensitization agents. Here, we report the sonosensitizing effects of Nano-Graphene Oxide (NGO) and compare them with gold nanoparticles (AuNPs), Iron Oxide nanoparticles (IONPs).Experiments were conducted to explore the effects of nanoparticle type and concentration, as well as ultrasound power, on transient heating up of the solutions exposed by 1 MHz ultrasound. Nanoparticles concentration was selected from 0.25 to 2.5 mg/ml and the solutions were exposed by ultrasound powers from 1 to 8 W. Real time temperature monitoring was done by a thermocouple and obtained data was analyzed.Temperature profiles of various nanoparticle solutions showed the higher heating rates, in comparison to water. Heating rise was strongly depended on nanoparticles concentration and ultrasound power. AuNPs showed a superior efficiency in heat generation enhancement in comparison to IONPs and NGO.Our result supports the idea of sonosensitizing capabilities of AuNPs, IONPs, and NGO. Targeted hyperthermia may be achievable by preferential loading of tumor with nanoparticles and subsequent ultrasound irradiation.     

Effect of non-acoustic parameters on heterogeneous sonoporation mediated by single-pulse ultrasound and microbubbles

Sonoporation—transient plasma membrane perforation elicited by the interaction of ultrasound waves with microbubbles—has shown great potential for drug delivery and gene therapy. However, the heterogeneity of sonoporation introduces complexities and challenges in the realization of controllable and predictable drug delivery. The aim of this investigation was to understand how non-acoustic parameters (bubble related and bubble-cell interaction parameters) affect sonoporation. Using a customized ultrasound-exposure and fluorescence-imaging platform, we observed sonoporation dynamics at the single-cell level and quantified exogenous molecular uptake levels to characterize the degree of sonoporation. Sonovue microbubbles were introduced to passively regulate microbubble-to-cell distance and number, and bubble size. 1 MHz ultrasound with 10-cycle pulse duration and 0.6 MPa peak negative pressure were applied to trigger the inertial collapse of microbubbles. Our data revealed the impact of non-acoustic parameters on the heterogeneity of sonoporation. (i) The localized collapse of relatively small bubbles (diameter, D < 5.5 μm) led to predictable sonoporation, the degree of which depended on the bubble-to-cell distance (d). No sonoporation was observed when d/D > 1, whereas reversible sonoporation occurred when d/D < 1. (ii) Large bubbles (D > 5.5 μm) exhibited translational movement over large distances, resulting in unpredictable sonoporation. Translation towards the cell surface led to variable reversible sonoporation or irreversible sonoporation, and translation away from the cell caused either no or reversible sonoporation. (iii) The number of bubbles correlated positively with the degree of sonoporation when D < 5.5 μm and d/D < 1. Localized collapse of two to three bubbles mainly resulted in reversible sonoporation, whereas irreversible sonoporation was more likely following the collapse of four or more bubbles. These findings offer useful insight into the relationship between non-acoustic parameters and the degree of sonoporation.     

Effect of potassium monopersulfate (oxone) and operating parameters on sonochemical degradation of cationic dye in an aqueous solution

In this study, removal of Cresol Red (CR), a cationic triphenylmethane dye, by 300 kHz ultrasound was investigated. The effect of additive such as potassium monopersulfate (oxone) was studied. Additionally, sonolytic degradation of CR was investigated at varying power and initial pH. RC can be readily eliminated by the ultrasound process. The obtained results showed that. Sonochemical degradation of CR was strongly affected by ultrasonic power and pH. The degradation rate of the dye increased substantially with increasing ultrasonic power in the range of 20–80 W. This improvement could be explained by the increase in the number of active cavitation bubbles. The significant degradation was achieved in acidic conditions (pH = 2) where the color removal was 99% higher than those observed in higher pH aqueous solutions. The ultrasonic degradation of dye was enhanced by potassium monopersulfate (oxone) addition. It was found that the degradation of the dye was accelerated with increased concentrations of oxone for a reaction time of 75 min.     

Bio-refinery of orange peels waste: A new concept based on integrated green and solvent free extraction processes using ultrasound and microwave techniques to obtain essential oil,polyphenols and pectin

In this study, extraction of essential oil, polyphenols and pectin from orange peel has been optimized using microwave and ultrasound technology without adding any solvent but only “in situ” water which was recycled and used as solvent. The essential oil extraction performed by Microwave Hydrodiffusion and Gravity (MHG) was optimized and compared to steam distillation extraction (SD). No significant changes in yield were noticed: 4.22 ± 0.03% and 4.16 ± 0.05% for MHG and SD, respectively. After extraction of essential oil, residual water of plant obtained after MHG extraction was used as solvent for polyphenols and pectin extraction from MHG residues. Polyphenols extraction was performed by ultrasound-assisted extraction (UAE) and conventional extraction (CE). Response surface methodology (RSM) using central composite designs (CCD) approach was launched to investigate the influence of process variables on the ultrasound-assisted extraction (UAE). The statistical analysis revealed that the optimized conditions of ultrasound power and temperature were 0.956 W/cm² and 59.83 °C giving a polyphenol yield of 50.02 mg GA/100 g dm. Compared with the conventional extraction (CE), the UAE gave an increase of 30% in TPC yield. Pectin was extracted by conventional and microwave assisted extraction. This technique gives a maximal yield of 24.2% for microwave power of 500 W in only 3 min whereas conventional extraction gives 18.32% in 120 min. Combination of microwave, ultrasound and the recycled “in situ” water of citrus peels allow us to obtain high added values compounds in shorter time and managed to make a closed loop using only natural resources provided by the plant which makes the whole process intensified in term of time and energy saving, cleanliness and reduced waste water.     

Ultrasound assisted dispersal of a copper nanopowder for electroless copper activation

This paper describes the ultrasound assisted dispersal of a low wt./vol.% copper nanopowder mixture and determines the optimum conditions for de-agglomeration. A commercially available powder was added to propan-2-ol and dispersed using a magnetic stirrer, a high frequency 850 kHz ultrasonic cell, a standard 40 kHz bath and a 20 kHz ultrasonic probe. The particle size of the powder was characterized using dynamic light scattering (DLS). Z-Average diameters (mean cluster size based on the intensity of scattered light) and intensity, volume and number size distributions were monitored as a function of time and energy input. Low frequency ultrasound was found to be more effective than high frequency ultrasound at de-agglomerating the powder and dispersion with a 20 kHz ultrasonic probe was found to be very effective at breaking apart large agglomerates containing weakly bound clusters of nanoparticles. In general, the breakage of nanoclusters was found to be a factor of ultrasonic intensity, the higher the intensity the greater the de-agglomeration and typically micron sized clusters were reduced to sub 100 nm particles in less than 30 min using optimum conditions. However, there came a point at which the forces generated by ultrasonic cavitation were either insufficient to overcome the cohesive bonds between smaller aggregates or at very high intensities decoupling between the tip and solution occurred. Absorption spectroscopy indicated a copper core structure with a thin oxide shell and the catalytic performance of this dispersion was demonstrated by drop coating onto substrates and subsequent electroless copper metallization. This relatively inexpensive catalytic suspension has the potential to replace precious metal based colloids used in electronics manufacturing.     

Sonochemically preparation and characterization of bimetallic Ni-Co/Al2O3-ZrO2 nanocatalyst: Effects of ultrasound irradiation time and power on catalytic properties and activity in dry reforming of CH4

The catalytic performance of nanostructured Ni-Co/Al₂O₃-ZrO₂ catalysts, prepared by ultrasound-assisted impregnation method was examined in the dry reforming of methane. The effect of irradiation power and irradiation time have been studied by changing time (0, 20, 80 min) and power of the sonication (30, 60, 90 W) during the synthesis which resulted in different physiochemical properties of the nanocatalyst. The nanocatalysts were characterized by XRD, FESEM, PSD, EDX, TEM, TPR-H₂, BET, FTIR and TG analyses. Based on the characterization results, ultrasound treatment endowed the sample with more uniform and smaller nanoparticles; higher surface area, stronger metal-support interaction and more homogenous dispersion. Moreover, the analyses exhibited smaller particles with higher surface area and less population of particle aggregates at longer and highly irradiated nanocatalysts. The nanocatalyst irradiated at 90 W for 80 min (the longest irradiation time and the most intense power) showed a uniform morphology and a very narrow particles size distribution. More than 65% of particles of this nanocatalyst were in the range of 10–30 nm. Activity tests demonstrated that employing ultrasound irradiation during impregnation improves feed conversion and products yield, reaching values close to equilibrium. Among sonicated nanocatalysts, with increasing power and time of irradiation, the nanocatalyst represents higher activity. The superior performance amongst the various bimetallic catalysts tested was observed over the catalyst with 90 W and 80 min ultrasonic irradiation which is stable in 24 h time on stream test. The excellent anti-coking performance of this bimetallic catalyst, confirmed by TG and FESEM analyses of spent catalyst, is closely related to the promoting effect of sonication on the metal-support interaction, Ni dispersion and particle size; and probably, the synergy between metallic species.     

Thermosonication as a potential quality enhancement technique of apple juice

Enzymatic browning and microbial growth lead to quality losses in apple products. In the present study, fresh apple juice was thermosonicated using ultrasound in-bath (25 kHz, 30 min, 0.06 W cm⁻³) and ultrasound with-probe sonicator (20 kHz, 5 and 10 min, 0.30 W cm⁻³) at 20, 40 and 60 °C for inactivation of enzymes (polyphenolase, peroxidase and pectinmethylesterase) and microflora (total plate count, yeast and mold). Additionally, ascorbic acid, total phenolics, flavonoids, flavonols, pH, titratable acidity, ^°Brix and color values influenced by thermosonication were investigated. The highest inactivation of enzymes was obtained in ultrasound with-probe at 60 °C for 10 min, and the microbial population was completely inactivated at 60 °C. The retention of ascorbic acid, total phenolics, flavonoids and flavonols were significantly higher in ultrasound with-probe than ultrasound in-bath at 60 °C. These results indicated the usefulness of thermosonication for apple juice processing at low temperature, for enhanced inactivation of enzymes and microorganisms.     

Experimental study on the influence of low-frequency and low-intensity ultrasound on the permeability of the Mycobacterium smegmatis cytoderm and potentiation with levofloxacin

Tuberculosis is an infectious disease caused by the bacterium M. tuberculosis. The aim of this study was to investigate the bactericidal effect and underlying mechanisms of low-frequency and low-intensity ultrasound combined with levofloxacin treatment against M. smegmatis (a surrogate of M. tuberculosis). As part of this study, M. smegmatis was continuously irradiated with low frequency ultrasound (42 kHz) using several different doses whereby both intensity (0.138, 0.190 and 0.329 W/cm²) and exposure time (5, 15 and 20 min) were varied. Flow cytometric analyses revealed that the permeability of M. smegmatis increased following ultrasound exposure. The survival rate, structure and morphology of bacteria in the lower-dose (I_SATA = 0.138 W/cm² for 5 min) ultrasound group displayed no significant differences upon comparison with the untreated group. However, the survival rate of bacteria was significantly reduced and the bacterial structure was damaged in the higher-dose (I_SATA = 0.329 W/cm² for 20 min) ultrasound group. Ultrasound irradiation (0.138 W/cm²) was subsequently applied to M. smegmatis in combination with levofloxacin treatment for 5 min. The results demonstrated that the bactericidal effect of ultrasonic irradiation combined with levofloxacin is higher compared to ultrasound alone or levofloxacin alone.     

Trace determination of safranin O dye using ultrasound assisted dispersive solid-phase micro extraction: Artificial neural network-genetic algorithm and response surface methodology

In this study, ultrasound assisted dispersive solid-phase micro extraction combined with spectrophotometry (USA-DSPME-UV) method based on activated carbon modified with Fe₂O₃ nanoparticles (Fe₂O₃-NPs-AC) was developed for pre-concentration and determination of safranin O (SO). It is known that the efficiency of USA-DSPME-UV method may be affected by pH, amount of adsorbent, ultrasound time and eluent volume and the extent and magnitude of their contribution on response (in term of main and interaction part) was studied by using central composite design (CCD) and artificial neural network-genetic algorithms (ANN-GA). Accordingly by adjustment of experimental conditions suggested by ANN-GA at pH 6.5, 1.1 mg of adsorbent, 10 min ultrasound and 150 μL of eluent volume led to achievement of best operation performance like low LOD (6.3 ng mL⁻¹) and LOQ (17.5 ng mL⁻¹) in the range of 25–3500 ng mL⁻¹. In following stage, the SO content in real water and wastewater samples with recoveries between 93.27–99.41% with RSD lower than 3% was successfully determined.     

Effects of ultrasonic agitation and surfactant additive on surface roughness of Si (1 1 1) crystal plane in alkaline KOH solution

In the silicon wet etching process, the “pseudo-mask” formed by the hydrogen bubbles generated during the etching process is the reason causing high surface roughness and poor surface quality. Based upon the ultrasonic mechanical effect and wettability enhanced by isopropyl alcohol (IPA), ultrasonic agitation and IPA were used to improve surface quality of Si (1 1 1) crystal plane during silicon wet etching process. The surface roughness R_q is smaller than 15 nm when using ultrasonic agitation and R_q is smaller than 7 nm when using IPA. When the range of IPA concentration (mass fraction, wt%) is 5–20%, the ultrasonic frequency is 100 kHz and the ultrasound intensity is 30–50 W/L, the surface roughness R_q is smaller than 2 nm when combining ultrasonic agitation and IPA. The surface roughness R_q is equal to 1 nm when the mass fraction of IPA, ultrasound intensity and the ultrasonic frequency is 20%, 50 W and 100 kHz respectively. The experimental results indicated that the combination of ultrasonic agitation and IPA could obtain a lower surface roughness of Si (1 1 1) crystal plane in silicon wet etching process.     

Effect of ultrasound energy on the zeolitization of chemical extracts from fused coal fly ash

This paper investigates the effects of ultrasound (UTS) energy at different temperatures on the zeolitization of aluminosilicate constituents of coal fly ash. UTS energy irradiated directly into the reaction mixture utilizing a probe immersed into the reaction mixture, unlike previously reported works that have used UTS baths. Controlled synthesis was also conducted at constant stirring and at the same temperatures using conventional heating. The precursor reaction solution was obtained by first fusing the coal fly ash with sodium hydroxide at 550 °C followed by dissolution in water and filtration. The synthesized samples were characterized by XRF, XRD, SEM and TGA. The crystallinity of crystals produced with UTS assisted conversion compared to conventional conversion at 85 °C was twice as high. UTS energy also reduced the induction time from 60 min to 40 min and from 80 min to 60 min for reaction temperatures of 95 °C and 85 °C, respectively. Prolonging the UTS irradiation at 95 °C resulted in the conversion of zeolite-A crystals to hydroxysodalite, which is a more stable zeolitic phase. It was found that at 85 °C coupled with ultrasound energy produced the best crystalline structure with a pure single phase of zeolite-A. It has been shown that crystallization using UTS energy can produce zeolitic crystals at lower temperatures and within 1 h, dramatically cutting the synthesis time of zeolite.