Electromembrane extraction and anodic stripping voltammetric determination of mercury(II) using a glassy carbon electrode modified with gold nanoparticles

This study presents a method for the selective determination of Hg(II) using electromembrane extraction (EME), followed by square wave anodic stripping voltammetry (SWASV), using a gold nanoparticle-modified glassy carbon electrode, (AuNP/GCE). By applying an electrical potential of typically 60 V for 12 min through a thin supported liquid membrane (1-octanol), Hg(II) ions are extracted from a donor phase (i.e., the sample solution) to an acidic acceptor solution (15 μL) placed in the lumen of a hollow fiber. The influences of experimental parameters during EME were optimized using face-centered central composite design. The calibration plot, established at a working voltage of 0.55 V (vs. Ag/AgCl), extends from 0.2 to 10 μg^.L^?1 of Hg(II). The limit of detection, at a signal to noise ratio of 3, is 0.01 μg^.L^?1 and the relative standard deviations (for 5 replicate determinations at 3 concentration levels) are between 7.5 and 8.7 %. The method was successfully applied to the determination of Hg(II) in spiked real water samples to give recoveries ranging from 89 to 97 %. The results were validated by cold vapor atomic absorption spectroscopy.

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Graphical abstract Hg(II) ions were extracted from a donor phase into an acidic acceptor phase (15 μL) placed in the lumen of a hollow fiber using electromembrane extraction. The acceptor phase was then analyzed using anodic stripping voltammetry.

     

Three gemini cationic surfactants as biodegradable corrosion inhibitors for carbon steel in HCl solution

Three gemini cationic surfactants with different hydrophobic spacer chain lengths were synthesized and characterized. The inhibition effect of N,N′-bis(2-hydroxyethyl)-N,N′-dimethyl-N,N′-bis(2-(tetradecanoyloxy)ethyl)ethane-1,2-diaminium bromide (G-2); N,N′-bis(2-hydroxyethyl)-N,N′-dimethyl-N,N′-bis(2-(tetradecanoyloxy)ethyl) hexane-1,6-diaminium bromide (G-6); and N,N′-bis(2-hydroxyethyl)-N,N′-dimethyl-N,N′-bis (2-(tetradecanoyloxy) ethyl) dodecane-1,12-diaminium bromide (G-12) on the corrosion of carbon steel in 1.0 M HCl solution at 25–60 °C was studied by weight loss, potentiodynamic polarization, and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy. The results show that the synthesized inhibitors are effective inhibitors even at very low concentration, and the adsorption on the carbon steel surface obeys the Langmuir adsorption isotherm. Potentiodynamic polarization curves reveal that the synthesized inhibitors behave as a mixed-type inhibitor. Adsorption of used inhibitors led to a reduction in the double layer capacitance and an increase in the charge transfer resistance. Thermodynamic parameters have been obtained by adsorption theory. Surface activity and corrosion inhibition relationship were discussed. The biodegradability of the synthesized surfactants showed their readily biodegradation in the open environment and were considered as environmentally friendly corrosion inhibitors.

     

An aptasensor for tetracycline using a glassy carbon modified with nanosheets of graphene oxide

Microchimica Acta - The authors describe an aptasensor for tetracycline (TET) based on the use of a glassy carbon electrode (GCE) modified with graphene oxide nanosheets. The latter were placed on...     

Synthesis of mesoporous functional hematite nanofibrous photoanodes by electrospinning

Iron(III) oxide (hematite, Fe₂O₃) nanofibers, as visible light‐induced photoanode for water oxidation reaction of a water splitting process, were fabricated through electrospinning method followed by calcination treatment. The prepared samples were characterized with scanning electron microscopy, and three‐electrode galvanostat/potentiostat for evaluating their photoelectrochemical (PEC) properties. The diameter of the as‐spun fibers is about 300 nm, and calcinated fibers have diameter less than 110 nm with mesoporous structure. Optimized multilayered electrospun α‐Fe₂O₃ nanostructure mats showed photocurrent density of 0.53 mA/cm² under dark and visible illumination conditions at voltage 1.23 V and constant intensity (900 mW/cm²). This photovoltaic performance of nanostructure mats makes it suitable choice for using in the PEC water splitting application as an efficient photoanode. This method, if combined with appropriate flexible conductive substrate, has the potential for producing flexible hematite solar fuel generators. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Novel salep‐based chelating hydrogel for heavy metal removal from aqueous solutions

A novel optimized chelating hydrogel was synthesized via graft copolymerization of acrylamide and 2‐hydroxyethyl methacrylate (as two‐dentate chelating co‐monomer) onto salep (a multicomponent polysaccharide obtained from dried tubers of certain natural terrestrial orchids) using N,N′‐methylenebisacrylamide as a crosslinker and ammonium persulfate as an initiator. Reaction parameters (N,N′‐methylenebisacrylamide and ammonium persulfate amounts as well as acrylamide/2‐hydroxyethyl methacrylate weight ratio) affecting the water absorption of the chelating hydrogel were optimized using a systematic method to achieve a hydrogel with high swelling capacity as possible. Heavy metal ion adsorption capacity of the optimized hydrogel for metal ions [Cu (II), Pb (II), Cd (II), and Cr (III)] were investigated in aqueous media containing different concentrations of these ions (5–50 ppm). The results showed that the hydrogel have great potential for heavy metal removal from aqueous solutions. The hydrogel formation was confirmed by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, and surface morphology study of the hydrogel was performed by scanning electron microscope. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Solid‐state synthesis of a new core–shell nanocomposite of polyaniline and silica via oxidation of aniline hydrochloride by FeCl3.6H2O

Among the different oxidants used for the preparation of polyaniline in the solid‐state, iron (III) chloride (FeCl₃.6H₂O) can act as both oxidant and dopant. This work reports the synthesis and characterization of novel composite of polyaniline/silica. The polymerization was performed by oxidative polymerization of aniline hydrochloride in the presence of silica and FeCl₃.6H₂O under solid‐state (solvent‐free) condition. The FeCl₃.6H₂O has been chemically supported on silica and generated silica‐supported FeCl₃ ( SSFe ), which plays three important roles simultaneously (a) oxidant, (b) primary dopant, and (c) secondary dopant (Lewis acid). Furthermore, the existence of silica is important for proceeding of polymerization in solid state. In the other words, the surface polymerization and green chemistry in solid state have been coupled. The characterization and doping process are verified by ultraviolet‐visible, Fourier transform infrared, atomic absorption spectroscopy, thermogravimetric analysis, differential scanning calorimetry, and elemental analysis (CHNS). From atomic absorption spectroscopy the ratio of Fe/N in the composite obtained about 1, which confirms the formation of delocalized polarons by SSFe in the composites. The conductivity is in the range of semi‐conductive. Furthermore, contact resistance was determined by circular‐transmission line measurement. According to scanning electron microscopy images silica particles have been thoroughly coated by polyaniline within the range of 0.2 to 1 µm. However, transition electron microscopy images depict the uniform solid nanospheres (no hollow spheres or fibers), and their mean diameters are under of 50 nm. It confirms nanocomposite of core–shell PANI‐SSFe. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Novel application of quantum chemical investigation in terms of substituent parameters: Statistical comparison of dual and single substituent parameter treatments

The correlation analysis of Mulliken charge (Q_M) calculated by using density functional theory (B3LYP/STO-3G) calculations of 1-(4-azido-5-hydroxymethyl-tetrahydro-selenophen-2-ylmethyl)-5-substituted-1H-pyrimidine-2,4-dione, were done by using mono substituent parameter (Hammett’s model), and dual substituent parameter (Taft’s, Reynolds’, and Swain’s models). The dual substituent parameter correlations of the Q_M data gave no significant improvement over single parameter correlations, the best correlation observed with the Taft’s Model as compared with the Swain’s and Reynolds’ Models, respectively. The correlation analysis of Mulliken charge can be used successfully to demonstrate the existence or absence of the interaction between the oxygen of the carbonyl group and selenium atom.     

Synthesis, structure of [H3dien]·(MF6)·H2O (M=Cr, Fe) and Fe Mössbauer study of [H3dien]·(FeF6)·H2O

Single crystals of [H₃dien]·(FeF₆)·H₂O (I) and [H₃dien]·(CrF₆)·H₂O (II) are obtained by solvothermal synthesis under microwave heating. I is orthorhombic (Pna2₁) with a=11.530(2) Å, b=6.6446(8) Å, c=13.787(3) Å, V=1056.3(2) Å³ and Z=4. II is monoclinic (P2₁/c) with a=13.706(1) Å, b=6.7606(6) Å, c=11.3181(9) Å, β=99.38(1)°, V=1034.7(1) Å³ and Z=4. The structure determinations, performed from single crystal X-ray diffraction data, lead to the R₁/wR₂ reliability factors 0.028/0.066 for I and 0.035/0.102 for II. The structures of I and II are built up from isolated FeF₆ or CrF₆ octahedra, water molecules and triprotonated amines. In both structures, each octahedron is connected by hydrogen bonds to six organic cations and two water molecules. The iron-based compound is also characterized by ⁵⁷Fe Mössbauer spectrometry: the hyperfine structure confirms the presence of Fe³⁺ in octahedral coordination and reveals the existence of paramagnetic spin fluctuations.     

Hydrogen‐bonding patterns in rac‐1‐acetyl‐5‐methyl‐2‐thioxoimidazolidin‐4‐one

In the title compound, C₆H₈N₂O₂S, also known as N‐acetyl‐2‐thiohydantoin–alanine, the molecules are joined by N—H...O hydrogen bonds, forming centrosymmetric R₂²(8) dimers; these dimers are linked by C—H...O interactions to form R₂²(10) rings, thus forming C₂²(10) chains that run along the [101] direction.     

trans‐Diaquabis(3‐hydroxybenzoato‐κO1)bis(nicotinamide‐κN1)copper(II)

The title compound, [Cu(C₇H₅O₃)₂(C₆H₆N₂O)₂(H₂O)₂], is a two‐dimensional hydrogen‐bonded supramolecular complex. The Cu^II ion resides on a centre of symmetry and is in an octahedral coordination environment comprising two pyridine N atoms, two carboxylate O atoms and two O atoms from water molecules. Intermolecular N—H...O and O—H...O hydrogen bonds produce R₂²(4), R₂²(8) and R₂²(15) rings which lead to one‐dimensional polymeric chains. An extensive two‐dimensional network of N—H...O and O—H...O hydrogen bonds and C—H...π interactions are responsible for crystal stabilization.