Studies on complex formation between curcumin and Hg(II) ion by spectrophotometric method: A new approach to overcome peak overlap

Complex formation between curcumin and Hg(II) ion MeOH/H₂O (1: 1 v/v) was investigated and monitored by the spectrophotometric method. The absorption peak of unreacted curcumin which was close and overlapped with that of the complex, was removed by calculation using Microsoft Excel, thereby, allowing determination of the stoichiometry of the complex by the mole-ratio and the Job’s continuous variation methods. Both methods indicated that a 1:1 complex of curcumin and Hg(II) was formed in solution. The formation constant of the 1:1 Hg(II) complex was obtained from two methods, the equilibrium concentration calculation and the linear plot of Benesi-Hildebrand equation, as log K = 4.44 ± 0.16 and 4.83 ± 0.02, respectively. The structure is proposed as a tetrahedral complex of Hg(II) with one curcumin and two chloride ions as ligands. Electronic Supplementary Material  Supplementary material is available for this article at and is accessible for authorized users.     

Selective synthesis of zeolitic phillipsite and hibschite hydrogarnet from lignite ash employing calcium hydroxide under mild conditions

A selective synthesis of zeolitic material, phillipsite, employing calcium hydroxide under mild chemical conditions is reported. This is to provide a potential method in reducing the amount of the waste from lignite power plant and the addition of economical value to the material. The fly ash was first activated by calcination at high temperature, and then fused with calcium hydroxide. The water was then added to the solid mixture before curing under saturated water vapour at low temperature. The treatment of as-received fly ash with either calcium hydroxide or a mixture of calcium and sodium hydroxide following as-described preparative procedure of phillipsite, but without prior calcination was also conducted, and led to the formation of Hibschite hydrogarnet, which was also evidentially selective. The following parameters, i.e. type and amount of alkali reagent, the amount of added water, fusion temperature and reaction time were investigated. Powder X-ray diffraction was used to identify type of crystalline solid products, and scanning electron microscope was employed to follow the alteration of solid morphologies. X-ray fluorescence (XRF) was used to trace the chemical composition of the solids. The heavy metal cation removal abilities toward lead ion of the prepared phillipsites were also investigated.     

Synthesis and characterisation of new titanium amino-alkoxides: precursors for the formation of TiO2 materials

Reaction of the amino-alkoxides HOCH(CH(2)NMe(2))(2) (Hbdmap) and HOC(CH(2)NMe(2))(3) (Htdmap) with [Ti(OR)(4)] yields a series of heteroleptic titanium alkoxides [Ti(OR)(4-n)(L)(n)] (L = bdmap, tdmap). Substitution of the monodentate alkoxide with the chelating alkoxides becomes progressively more difficult, with homogeneous products being obtained only for n = 1, 2. The structure of [Ti(OEt)(3)(bdmap)](2), a mu-OEt bridged dimer, has been determined. Hydrolysis of [Ti(OR)(2)(L)(2)], by adventitious moisture affords the dimeric oxo-alkoxides [Ti(O)(L)(2)](2), both of which have been characterised crystallographically. These two compounds have also been prepared by reaction of [Ti(NMe(2))(2)(L)(2)] with the hydrated metal salts [Zn(acac)(2).2H(2)O] and [Zn(OAc)(2).2H(2)O] using the intrinsic water molecules in these salts to react with the labile amido groups, though the former also produces Me(Me(2)N)C=C(H)C(O)Me from reaction of liberated HNMe(2) with the coordinated acac ligand, while the latter also affords the ligand exchange product [Zn(OAc)(bdmap)]. In neither case does the free dimethylamino group of [Ti(O)(L)(2)](2) coordinate a second metal. The dimeric structure of [Zn(OAc)(bdmap)](2) has been established, and the structure of the tetrameric oxo-alkoxide [Ti(O)(OPr(i))(OCH(2)CH(2)NMe(2))](4) is reported for comparison with others in this study. [Ti(OEt)(3)(bdmap)](2) has been used as a precursor in AACVD (Aerosol-Assisted Chemical Vapour Deposition) to generate amorphous TiO(2) films on glass at 440 degrees C, and TiO(2)@C nanoparticles of approximate diameter 350 nm with a carbon coating of width ca. 75 nm on heating in a sealed container at 700 degrees C.     

Amorphous titanium dioxide as an adsorbent for dye polluted water and its recyclability

Amorphous TiO₂, synthesized from TiCl₄ and diluted NH₃ solution, was characterized by X-ray diffraction spectrometry, UV–Vis diffused reflectance spectroscopy, Fourier-transformed infrared spectroscopy, and scanning electron microscopy. The powder exhibited high specific surface area at 508 m²/g as measured by the Brunauer-Emmett-Teller method. The pH at point of zero charge of the as-prepared amorphous TiO₂ was determined by the pH drift method to be 6.8. The product was studied for its sorption efficiency using two dyes—crystal violet (CV) and malachite green (MG). Studies on the effects of various sorption parameters (contact time, TiO₂ dosage, pH of solution, and initial concentration of dye) were carried out in order to find the optimum adsorption conditions for which the results were: contact time ~30 min, TiO₂ dosage ~0.05–0.1 g, pH 7–9, and initial concentration <1 × 10^?4 M. The adsorption data were analyzed and fitted better with the Langmuir model than the Freundlich model. The maximum adsorption capacities obtained from the Langmuir model were 0.4979 and 0.4075 mmol dye/g TiO₂ for CV and MG dye, respectively. In addition, the regeneration and the recyclability of the prepared amorphous TiO₂ were also studied. The used adsorbent should be regenerated 10–12 h before reuse in the next cycle for the best result.     

Amorphous titanium dioxide: a recyclable dye remover for water treatment

Decolorization of dye solutions, crystal violet and congo red, were investigated using the synthesized amorphous titanium dioxide and compared with commercial titanium dioxides: Degussa P25 and anatase. Results showed that amorphous TiO₂ had good adsorptivity that could decolorize the dye polluted water effectively mainly by adsorption. Decolorization by photocatalytic property was also detected but was very low. Concentrations of dye solutions used in this work were about ten times higher than normally used in other reports. After use, the particle surface was completely covered with dye molecules but this could be regenerated and the cleaned particles could be reused several times. Hydrogen peroxide and ultraviolet irradiation were used in the regeneration process.     

Triblock copolymer-templated synthesis of porous TiO2 and its photocatalytic activity

Mixed amorphous and anatase-type titania particles were synthesized using non-ionic triblock copolymer as surfactant template and TiOSO₄ as inorganic precursor through sol–gel process. The as-prepared materials were characterized by X-ray diffraction spectroscopy, scanning and transmission electron microscopy, specific surface area, Fourier-transformed infrared spectroscopy, and diffuse reflectance ultraviolet–visible spectroscopy. The template material could be easily removed by extracting with dichloromethane and was confirmed by infrared spectroscopy. X-ray diffraction pattern reveals the crystalline part of as-prepared product as a framework of anatase phase. From the N₂ adsorption–desorption analysis, the as-prepared sample has a surface area of 301 m²/g with pore size distribution narrowly centered around 6 nm. The photodegradation of indigo carmine including kinetics, effect of pH, and recyclability of the product were investigated. The photocatalytic results showed that the as-synthesized titania could efficiently degrade indigo carmine under ultraviolet irradiation and showed higher photocatalytic activity than the commercial Degussa P25–TiO₂.     

Nanosized TiO<Subscript>2</Subscript> particles decorated on SiO<Subscript>2</Subscript> spheres (TiO<Subscript>2</Subscript>/SiO<Subscript>2</Subscript>): synthesis and photocatalytic activities

Nanosized TiO₂ and nano-anatase TiO₂ decorated on SiO₂ spherical core shells were synthesized by using a sol–gel method. The synthesized pure TiO₂ nano particle and TiO₂ grafted on SiO₂ sphere with various ratios have been characterized for their structure and morphologies by X-ray diffraction (XRD), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), Fourier transform infrared spectrophotometry (FTIR) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Their surface areas were measured using the BET method. The photocatalytic activity of all nanocomposites was investigated using methylene blue as a model pollutant. The synthesized TiO₂/SiO₂ particles appeared to be more efficient in the degradation of methylene blue pollutant, as compared to pure TiO₂ particles.