Simultaneous removal of Cu2+ and Cr3+ ions from aqueous solution based on Complexation with Eriochrome cyanine‐R and derivative spectrophotometric method

TiO₂ nanoparticles deposited on activated carbon (TiO₂–NP–AC) was prepared and characterized by XRD and SEM analysis. Subsequently, simultaneous ultrasound‐assisted adsorption of Cu²⁺ and Cr³⁺ ions onto TiO₂‐NPs‐AC after complexation via eriochrome cyanine R (ECR) has been investigated with UV–Vis and FAA spectrophotometer. Spectra overlapping of the ECR‐Cu and ECR‐Cr complex was resolve by derivative spectrophotometric technique. The effects of various parameters such as initial Cu²⁺ (A) and Cr³⁺ (B) ions concentrations, TiO₂‐NPs‐AC mass (C), sonication time (D) and pH (E) on the removal percentage were investigated and optimized by central composite design (CCD). The optimize conditions were set as: 4.21 min, 0.019 mg, 20.02 and 13.22 mg L^?1 and 6.63 for sonication time, TiO₂–NP–AC mass, initial Cr³⁺ and Cu²⁺ ions concentration and pH, respectively. The experimental equilibrium data fitting to Langmuir, Freundlich, Temkin and Dubinin–Radushkevich models show that the Langmuir model is a good and suitable model for evaluation and the actual behavior of adsorption process and maximum adsorption capacity of 105.26 and 93.46 mg g^?1 were obtained for Cu²⁺ and Cr³⁺ ions, respectively. Kinetic evaluation of experimental data showed that the adsorption processes followed well pseudo second order and intraparticle diffusion models.     

Preparation of Iodide Selective Carbon Paste Electrode with Modified Carbon Nanotubes by Potentiometric Method and Effect of CuS‐NPs on Its Response

In this research, multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) was oxidized and chemically modified through reaction with 3‐(trimethoxysilyl)propan‐1‐amine (TMSPA) and their subsequent reaction with 2‐hydroxy‐3‐methoxy benzaldehyde. Subsequently, this material was metalized by reaction with copper acetate that lead to formation and impergeation of 2‐methoxy‐6‐((3‐(trimethoxysilyl)propylimino)methyl)phenol MMSPIMP? MWCNT‐Cu. This novel material was identified with different techniques such as SEM and FT‐IR analysis. In this work, the reported material are exhibited high accurate and repeatable monitoring of iodide due to its high surface area with various reactive centre. It exhibited selectivity for iodide over the wide linear dynamic range between 1.8×10^?6 and 1.15×10^?1 M, with a Nernstian slope of ?59.12±0.7 mV per decade of activity and detection limit of 1.8×10^?6 M. Copper sulfide nanoparticles were prepared and their effect on the electrode response was investigated. The results were improved in the presence of nanoparticles with fast and stable response, good reproducibility, long‐term stability, high selectivity over the presence of common organic and inorganic anions, high detection limit and dynamic range. The proposed sensor has been applied as potentiometric determination of some iodine species over a pH range of 2.5–10.     

Surfactant‐directed one‐pot preparation of novel Ti‐containing mesomaterial with improved catalytic activity and reusability

Titanium was incorporated in ionic liquid based periodic mesoporous organosilica to prepare a nanostructured catalyst (Ti@PMO‐IL) with high activity. Procedure for the synthesis of Ti@PMO‐IL was followed according the simultaneous hydrolysis and condensation of alkylimidazolium ionic liquid, tetramethoxysilane (TMOS) and tetrabutylorthotitanate (TBOT) where a surfactant template was used together with a simple acid‐based catalytic aproach. N₂ adsorption isotherm of the Ti@PMO‐IL was studied to measure its mean pore volume, pore size distribution and specific surface area. Diffuse reflectance infrared Fourier transform (DRIFT) spectroscopy was applied to identify the chemical bonds present in Ti@PMO‐IL. The morphology of this nanomaterial was investigated by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) image was used to study mesoporosity and structure order of the catalyst. The catalytic activity of Ti@PMO‐IL was then studied and found to be efficient and reusable to catalyze Hantzsch reaction.     

XPS for non-destructive depth profiling and 3D imaging of surface nanostructures

Depth profiling of nanostructures is of high importance both technologically and fundamentally. Therefore, many different methods have been developed for determination of the depth distribution of atoms, for example ion beam (e.g. O₂⁺, Ar⁺) sputtering, low-damage C₆₀ cluster ion sputtering for depth profiling of organic materials, water droplet cluster ion beam depth profiling, ion-probing techniques (Rutherford backscattering spectroscopy (RBS), secondary-ion mass spectroscopy (SIMS) and glow-discharge optical emission spectroscopy (GDOES)), X-ray microanalysis using the electron probe variation technique combined with Monte Carlo calculations, angle-resolved XPS (ARXPS), and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) peak-shape analysis. Each of the depth profiling techniques has its own advantages and disadvantages. However, in many cases, non-destructive techniques are preferred; these include ARXPS and XPS peak-shape analysis. The former together with parallel factor analysis is suitable for giving an overall understanding of chemistry and morphology with depth. It works very well for flat surfaces but it fails for rough or nanostructured surfaces because of the shadowing effect. In the latter method shadowing effects can be avoided because only a single spectrum is used in the analysis and this may be taken at near normal emission angle. It is a rather robust means of determining atom depth distributions on the nanoscale both for large-area XPS analysis and for imaging. We critically discuss some of the techniques mentioned above and show that both ARXPS imaging and, particularly, XPS peak-shape analysis for 3D imaging of nanostructures are very promising techniques and open a gateway for visualizing nanostructures.     

XPS imaging of depth profiles and amount of substance based on Tougaard’s algorithm

Traditional XPS imaging produces a map of the XPS peak intensity. It is well known that the peak intensity carries limited information on the total amount of material as well as on the depth distribution of atoms. Such images can therefore be strongly misleading. Elaborate methods for improved quantification by analysis of the peak shape were developed by Tougaard et al. in the past but they require operator interaction and are therefore not suitable for imaging where thousands of spectra must be analyzed. Recently, Tougaard proposed a new algorithm [S. Tougaard, J. Vac. Sci. Technol. A 21 (2003) 1081] which is less accurate but sufficiently robust to allow for automatic data processing. In the present paper, we have successfully demonstrated the ability of the algorithm to produce detailed images of a plasma patterned polymer on Teflon. In general, four images are produced which show the distribution of pixels where F atoms are at the surface, in the bulk, or homogeneous in depth as well as an image of the amount of F atoms within the outermost three inelastic electron mean free paths.     

Characterization of Au nano-cluster formation on and diffusion in polystyrene using XPS peak shape analysis

XPS peak shape analysis is used as a novel and nondestructive method to study Au nano-cluster growth mechanism on polystyrene (PS) as a function of deposition as well as diffusion and distribution of the nano-clusters in PS as a function of subsequent annealing at temperatures in the range from room temperature to above the glass transition temperature of PS. The Au nano-cluster size and density are determined for four different amounts of Au deposition. It is shown that this nondestructive method can give all mentioned information on such a metalized polymer without the need for any other complimentary and time consuming technique such as AFM, TEM and the destructive technique XTEM. Thus this method is suitable to monitor and control the degree of intermixing of metal nano-clusters and polymers which is of high technological interest.     

Synthesis and characterization of antibacterial chromium iron oxide nanoparticle‐loaded activated carbon for ultrasound‐assisted wastewater treatment

The aim of this study was to evaluate the surface adsorption capacity of CrFeO₃ nanoparticle‐loaded activated carbon (CrFeO₃‐NPs–AC) for the removal of a cationic dye (methyl violet, MV). CrFeO₃‐NPs were hydrothermally synthesized and loaded on AC followed by characterization using X‐ray diffraction, field‐emission scanning electron microscopy and energy‐dispersive and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopies. The CrFeO₃‐NPs were tested for in vitro antibacterial activities against Gram‐positive (Staphylococcus aureus) and Gram‐negative (Pseudomonas aeruginosa) bacteria. Minimum inhibitory and minimum bactericidal concentrations of CrFeO₃‐NPs–AC were obtained to be 50 and 100 μg ml^?1, respectively, against S. aureus and 25 and 50 μg ml^?1 against P. aeruginosa. These results indicated the antibacterial properties of CrFeO₃‐NPs–AC. To investigate the adsorption process, several systematic experiments were designed by varying parameters such as adsorbent mass, pH, initial MV concentration and sonication time. The adsorption process was modelled and the optimal conditions were determined to be 0.013 g, 7.4, 15 mg l^?1 and 8 min for adsorbent mass, pH, MV concentration and sonication time, respectively. The real experimental data were found to be efficiently explained by response surface methodology and genetic algorithm model. Kinetic studies for MV adsorption showed rapid sorption dynamics described by a second‐order kinetic model, suggesting a chemisorption mechanism. Then, the experimental equilibrium data obtained at various concentrations of MV and adsorbent masses were fitted to conventional Langmuir, Freundlich, Temkin and Dubinin–Radushkevich isotherm models. Dye adsorption equilibrium data were fitted well to the Langmuir isotherm. From the Langmuir model, the maximum monolayer capacity was calculated to be 65.67 mg g^?1 at optimum adsorbent mass.     

Trisannelated Benzene Synthesis by Copper(II) Chloride

Different ketones such as cyclohexanone, cyclopentanone, acetophenone, 2‐acetonaphthalene, 4‐methylcyclohexanone in the presence of an hydrous CuCl₂ (catalytic amounts) at reflux condition for 2–4 hours, without using a solvent led to dimers 2‐(1‐cyclohexane‐1‐yl)‐cyclohexanone 6 , 2‐cyclopentylidene cyclopentanone 10 , trimer dodecahydrotriphenylene (DTP) 4 , trindan (tricyclopentabenzene) 9 , 1,3,5‐ triphenylbenzene (TBP) 12a , 1,3,5‐tri β‐naphthylbenzene 12b and dodecahydro‐2,6,10‐trimethyltriphenylenes 17 and 18 .     

Acceleration of osteogenic differentiation by sustained release of BMP2 in PLLA/graphene oxide nanofibrous scaffold

After about three decades of experience, tissue engineering has become one of the most important approaches in reconstructive medical research to treat non‐self‐healing bone injuries and lesions. Herein, nanofibrous composite scaffolds fabricated by electrospinning, which containing of poly(L‐lactic acid) (PLLA), graphene oxide (GO), and bone morphogenetic protein 2 (BMP2) for bone tissue engineering applications. After structural evaluations, adipose tissue derived mesenchymal stem cells (AT‐MSCs) were applied to monitor scaffold's biological behavior and osteoinductivity properties. All fabricated scaffolds had nanofibrous structure with interconnected pores, bead free, and well mechanical properties. But the best biological behavior including cell attachment, protein adsorption, and support cells proliferation was detected by PLLA‐GO‐BMP2 nanofibrous scaffold compared to the PLLA and PLLA‐GO. Moreover, detected ALP activity, calcium content and expression level of bone‐related gene markers in AT‐MSCs grown on PLLA‐GO‐BMP2 nanofibrous scaffold was also significantly promoted in compression with the cells grown on other scaffolds. In fact, the simultaneous presence of two factors, GO and BMP2, in the PLLA nanofibrous scaffold structure has a synergistic effect and therefore has a promising potential for tissue engineering applications in the repair of bone lesions.