Partially carboxymethylated cotton dust waste for sorption of textile wastewater coloured with the cationic dye Basic Blue 41 as a model: synthesis,regeneration and biodegradability

The removal of residual dyes in coloured textile wastewaters is mandatory, and a significant portion of the dyes used are cationic. Textile factories mainly process cotton yarns, and 8 % of this virgin feedstock is lost as cotton dust waste (CDW). Using factorial experimental design, this dust was derivatised with monochloroacetic acid (MCAA) to produce a partially carboxymethylated cellulose (CM^?-CDW) with NaOH, MCAA and isopropanol for the retention of Basic Blue 41 dye (BB 41) (column and batch), and biodegradability was investigated. The dye retention efficiency was examined with additional experiments varying the initial concentration, contact time and addition of salts. Heteronuclear multiple bonding correlation-nuclear magnetic resonance confirmed the covalent insertion of CM^? groups in the cellulosic fibres. The selected matrix provided a dye sorption of 58.33 (column) and 64.50 mg/g (batch). The Langmuir isotherm was a good fit to the sorption data. The efficiency of uptake of BB 41 was predominantly dictated by the concentration of alkali in the matrix synthesis. Biodegradability by cellulases was similar when using uncharged and dye-charged matrices. The latter were fully regenerated by washing in dilute acid. Retention was proportional to the initial dye concentration and the contact time required to reach equilibrium, which was longer for higher dye concentrations. The addition of 10 mmol/l NaCl decreased BB 41 retention by 50 %. Therefore, CM^?-CDW proved effective for the removal of the cationic dye BB 41 and thus represents an important alternative in the treatment of coloured textile effluents.     

On the nature of the transition metal-main group metal bond: synthesis and theoretical calculations on iridium gallyl complexes

The iridum-gallyl complex MeIr(PCy(3))(2)(GaMe(2))(Cl*GaMe(3)) exhibits a short Ir-Ga bond length of 2.381(1)-2.389(2) ?. Theoretical calculations (ZORA BP86/TZ2P) support the presence of a Ir-Ga single bond but highlight a π orbital contribution.     

Protein immobilization capacity and covalent binding coverage of pulsed plasma polymer surfaces

Three carbon surfaces were deposited using pulsed plasma enhanced chemical vapour deposition method: a low and a high nitrogen-containing plasma polymer surfaces and a diamond-like carbon surface. The surfaces were analysed using both X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) technique and the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) method combining with sodium dodecyl sulphate (SDS) cleaning to investigate the capacity and covalent binding of the immobilized proteins. A good correlation was found on quantification of remaining protein after SDS cleaning using the ELISA method and the XPS technique. All surfaces had similar initial capacity of protein attachment but with large different resistance to SDS cleaning. The analysis showed that the high nitrogen-containing plasma polymer was the best biocompatible material due to its highest resistance to SDS cleaning, i.e. with the highest quantity (∼80%) of proteins bound covalently.     

Sol-gel processing of a bimetallic alkoxide precursor confined in a porous glass matrix: a route to novel glass/metal oxide nanocomposites

In this work we present the utilization of the heterometallic alkoxide [FeCl{Ti(2)(OPr(i))(9)}] as the first sol-gel single-source precursor to achieve nanocomposites made of iron and titanium oxides incorporated into Porous Vycor Glass (PVG). The nanocomposites were prepared by the impregnation of the precursor in a PVG plate followed by hydrolysis reactions. Different samples were obtained by further thermal treatment of the hydrolyzed sample. The nanocomposites were characterized by UV-vis-NIR, Raman and EPR spectroscopies, XRD and TEM. The results indicate that the room-temperature hydrolyzed samples are formed by nanoparticles of FeOOH and brookite-TiO(2) embedded on a glassy matrix. After the heat treatment at temperatures above 900 degrees C, a pseudobrookite Fe(2)TiO(5) was formed. All samples present high transparency and homogeneity. The results showed here indicate that the sol-gel process using the single-source precursor [FeCl{Ti(2)(OPr(i))(9)}] should be a novel and efficient approach to the preparation of nanometric Fe/Ti oxides incorporated into a glassy matrix.     

Potentiometric behavior of ion-selective electrodes to large cationic species modulated by decyl alcohol

The effect of 1-decanol on the potentiometric response of three ion-selective electrodes to large cationic species is analyzed. The electrodes were constructed with plasticized PVC membranes. The results suggest that 1-decanol alters the ionic transport through the membrane/water interface to an extent that depends on the strength of the active ion pair. The water solubility of the cation, its molecular weight, and the size of the ion pair seem to be relevant factors in this type of behavior. The potentiometric selectivity coefficients are also dependent on the presence of 1-decanol in the membrane. These results are similar to those already described in ion-selective electrodes with membranes capable of sensing anionic benzene sulfonate-type systems. Thus, the effect of the alcohol appears to be general by affecting mainly the membrane surface polarity.     

Construction of the vector space concept from the viewpoint of APOS theory

We apply APOS theory to propose a possible way that students might follow in order to construct the vector space concept. We describe the mental mechanisms and constructions that might take place when students are learning this concept. We then report on a study that we performed with 10 undergraduate mathematics students through the application of a questionnaire and an interview. In this paper we focus on the coordination between the two operations that form part of the vector space structure and the relation of the vector space schema to other concepts such as linear independence and binary operations.     

Irreducibility of the unitary principal series of p-adic {\widetilde{Sp(n)}}

Let F be a p-adic field. Let Sp(n) denote the sympletic group of rank n over F, and let ${\widetilde{Sp(n)}}$ be the unique (up to isomorphism) metaplectic double cover of Sp(n). We prove irreducibility of the unitary principal series of the group ${\widetilde{Sp(n)}}$ over F using theta correspondence.     

Size-dependant heating rates of iron oxide nanoparticles for magnetic fluid hyperthermia

Using the thermal decomposition of organometallics method we have synthesized high-quality, iron oxide nanoparticles of tailorable size up to ∼15 nm and transferred them to a water phase by coating with a biocompatible polymer. The magnetic behavior of these particles was measured and fit to a log-normal distribution using the Chantrell method and their polydispersity was confirmed to be very narrow. By performing calorimetry measurements with these monodisperse particles we have unambiguously demonstrated, for the first time, that at a given frequency, heating rates of superparamagnetic particles are dependent on particle size, in agreement with earlier theoretical predictions.     

Parabolic induction and Jacquet functors for metaplectic groups

In this paper, we give a new formulation of a geometric lemma for the metaplectic groups over p-adic field F, analogous to the existing one for classical groups. This enables us to give a Zelevinsky type classification of irreducible admissible genuine representations of metaplectic groups. As an application of our Jacquet module technique, we explicitly calculate Jacquet modules of even and odd Weil representations.     

Synthesis,physico-chemical characterization and bioevaluation of Ni(II), Pd(II), and Pt(II) complexes with 1-(o-tolyl)biguanide: Antimicrobial and antitumor studies

New complexes of type [M(tbg)₂]Cl₂ [tbg = 1-(o-tolyl)biguanide; M = Ni(II), Pd(II), and Pt(II)] were synthesized and characterized to develop new biologically active compounds. The features of the complexes were assigned from microanalytical and thermal data. The NMR, FT-IR, and UV-Vis spectra were established by comparison with HtbgCl. All complexes exhibit a square-planar geometry resulting from the chelating behavior of tbg. The HtbgCl and [Ni(tbg)₂]Cl₂ complexes were fully characterized by single-crystal X-ray diffraction. The HtbgCl species crystallize in the monoclinic C2/c spatial group, while the Ni(II) complex adopts an orthorhombic Pna2₁ spatial group. The structure is stabilized by a complex hydrogen bonds network. The in vitro antimicrobial assays revealed improved antimicrobial activity for complexes in comparison with the ligand against both planktonic and biofilm embedded microbial cells. The most efficient compound, showing the largest spectrum of antimicrobial activity, including Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria, as well as fungal strains, in both planktonic and biofilm growth states was the Pd(II) complex, followed by the Pt(II) complex. The Pt(II) compound exhibited the most significant antiproliferative activity on the human cervical cancer SiHa cell line, inducing a cell cycle arrest in the G2/M phase.