A polyaniline-magnetite nanocomposite as an anion exchange sorbent for solid-phase extraction of chromium(VI) ions

Polyaniline-Derived Nitrogen-Containing Carbon Nanostructures with Different Morphologies as Anode Modifier in Microbial Fuel Cells

Anode modification with carbon nanomaterials is an important strategy for the improvement of microbial fuel cell (MFC) performance. The presence of nitrogen in the carbon network, introduced as active nitrogen functional groups, is considered beneficial for anode modification. In this aim, nitrogen-containing carbon nanostructures (NCNs) with different morphologies were obtained via carbonization of polyaniline and were further investigated as anode modifiers in MFCs. The present study investigates the influence of NCN morphology on the changes in the anodic microbial community and MFC performance. Results show that the nanofibrillar morphology of NCNs is beneficial for the improvement of MFC performance, with a maximum power density of 40.4 mW/m², 1.25 times higher than the anode modified with carbonized polyaniline with granular morphology and 2.15 times higher than MFC using the carbon cloth-anode. The nanofibrillar morphology, due to the well-defined individual nanofibers separated by microgaps and micropores and a better organization of the carbon network, leads to a larger specific surface area and higher conductivity, which can allow more efficient substrate transport and better bacterial colonization with greater relative abundances of Geobacter and Thermoanaerobacter, justifying the improvement of MFC performance.

Novel Hybrid Nanomaterials Based on Poly-N-Phenylanthranilic Acid and Magnetic Nanoparticles with Enhanced Saturation Magnetization

A one-step preparation method for cobalt- and iron-containing nanomaterials based on poly-N-phenylanthranilic acid (P-N-PAA) and magnetic nanoparticles (MNP) was developed for the first time. To synthesize the MNP/P-N-PAA nanocomposites, the precursor is obtained by dissolving a Co (II) salt in a magnetic fluid based on Fe3O4/P-N-PAA with a core-shell structure. During IR heating of the precursor in an inert atmosphere at T = 700−800 °C, cobalt interacts with Fe3O4 reduction products, which results in the formation of a mixture of spherical Co-Fe, γ-Fe, β-Co and Fe3C nanoparticles of various sizes in the ranges of 20 < d < 50 nm and 120 < d < 400 nm. The phase composition of the MNP/P-N-PAA nanocomposites depends significantly on the cobalt concentration. The reduction of metals occurs due to the hydrogen released during the dehydrogenation of phenylenamine units of the polymer chain. The introduction of 10−30 wt% cobalt in the composition of nanocomposites leads to a significant increase in the saturation magnetization of MNP/P-N-PAA (MS = 81.58−149.67 emu/g) compared to neat Fe3O4/P-N-PAA (MS = 18.41−27.58 emu/g). The squareness constant of the hysteresis loop is κS = MR/MS = 0.040−0.209. The electrical conductivity of the MNP/P-N-PAA nanomaterials does not depend much on frequency and reaches 1.2 × 10−1 S/cm. In the argon flow at 1000 °C, the residue is 77−88%.

Extraction and preconcentration of Ni(ii), Pb(ii), and Cd(ii) ions using a nanocomposite of the type Fe3O4@SiO2@polypyrrole-polyaniline

In this study, the application of Fe₃O₄@SiO₂@polypyrrole-polyaniline magnetic nanocomposite was studied for Ni(ii), Cd(ii), and Pb(ii) ions preconcentration extraction. In this regard, the silica layer prevents the Fe₃O₄ nanoparticles (NPs) from aggregating over a broad pH range value and simultaneously improves chemical stability and hydrophilicity. By using a Box-Behnken design, the effect of various parameters affecting the preconcentration was studied. FAAS was employed to quantify the eluted analytes. The detection limits are 0.09, 1.1, and 0.3 ng mL^-1 for Ni(ii), Cd(ii) and Pb(ii), ions, respectively. The relative standard deviations (RSDs%) were calculated for determining the method's precision, lower than 7.5%. The capacities of sorption are 75, 84, and 98 mg g^-1, respectively. With the usage of a certified reference material, the developed method was validated. After that, the validated method was employed to rapidly extract trace target ions from food samples and gave satisfactory results.

Development of Solid Phase Extraction Method Based on Ion Imprinted Polymer for Determination of Cr(III) Ions by ETAAS in Waters

In this work, a new solid phase extraction method for the determination of chromium species in water samples by electrothermal atomic absorption spectrometry was developed. For selective separation of Cr(III) ions under dynamic conditions, two ion imprinted polymers containing Cr(III)-1,10-phenanthroline complex (Cr(III)-phen) were prepared with the use of one (styrene, ST) or two (styrene and 4-vinylpyridine, ST-4VP) functional monomers. The physicochemical properties of those solid sorbents towards Cr(III) ions were studied and compared. It was found that Cr(III) ions were retained on the Cr(III)-phen-ST and Cr(III)-phen-ST-4VP polymers with high efficiency and repeatability (91.6% and 92.9%, RSD < 2%) from solutions at pH 4.5. The quantitative recovery of the analyte (91.7% and 93.9%, RSD < 4%) was obtained with 0.1 mol/L EDTA solution. The introduction of 4VP, an additional functional monomer, improved selectivity of the Cr(III)-phen-ST-4VP polymer towards Cr(III) ions in the presence of Cu(II), Mn(II) and Fe(III) ions, and slightly decreased the sorption capacity and stability of that polymer. The accuracy of procedures based on both polymeric sorbents was proved by analyzing the standard reference material of surface water SRM 1643e. The method using the Cr(III)-phen-ST polymer was applied for determining of Cr(III) ions in tap water and infusion of a green tea.

Current Applications of Magnetic Nanomaterials for Extraction of Mycotoxins, Pesticides, and Pharmaceuticals in Food Commodities

Environmental pollutants, such as mycotoxins, pesticides, and pharmaceuticals, are a group of contaminates that occur naturally, while others are produced from anthropogenic sources. With increased research on the adverse ecological and human health effects of these pollutants, there is an increasing need to regularly monitor their levels in food and the environment in order to ensure food safety and public health. The application of magnetic nanomaterials in the analyses of these pollutants could be promising and offers numerous advantages relative to conventional techniques. Due to their ability for the selective adsorption, and ease of separation as a result of magnetic susceptibility, surface modification, stability, cost-effectiveness, availability, and biodegradability, these unique magnetic nanomaterials exhibit great achievement in the improvement of the extraction of different analytes in food. On the other hand, conventional methods involve longer extraction procedures and utilize large quantities of environmentally unfriendly organic solvents. This review centers its attention on current applications of magnetic nanomaterials and their modifications in the extraction of pollutants in food commodities.

Improvement in Heavy Metal Removal from Wastewater Using an External Magnetic Inductor

Magnetite nanoparticles (Fe₃O₄) of 12 ± 4 nm diameter are electrochemically synthesized for the adsorption and magnetic harvesting of Cr(VI) from contaminated simulated solutions. The removal of Cr(VI) from aqueous media follows pseudo-second-order kinetics. The adsorption efficiency is evaluated in three different scenarios. In standard conditions, i.e., at room temperature; in a thermal bath working at 60 °C, where the temperature could be considered homogeneous within the solution; and finally, under magnetic induction heating, while adjusting the frequency and magnetic field used to attain the same temperature as in the bath experiments. Two benefits of using a magnetic inductor are demonstrated. First, the removal efficiency is almost doubled in comparison to that of the room temperature experiments, and it is higher by 30% compared to that of the bath setup. At the same time as the adsorption occurs, a redox reaction occurs on the surface of the nanoparticles, and Cr(VI), the predominant species in the contaminated solution, is significantly reduced to Cr(III). Through X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, it is shown that a greater reduction effect is achieved when working in induction conditions than at room temperature. This is the first time that this synergistic effect using magnetic induction heating has been demonstrated for heavy metal decontamination of wastewater.

A nanosized magnetic metal-organic framework of type MIL-53(Fe) as an efficient sorbent for coextraction of phenols and anilines prior to their quantitation by HPLC

The authors describe the synthesis of a magnetic metal-organic framework (MOF) of type MIL-53(Fe) for coextraction of phenols and anilines from various environmental samples. A quick method for dispersive micro-solid phase extraction (D-μ-SPE) was developed for coextraction of the analytes 4-nitrophenol (4-NP), 4-chlorophenol (4-CP), 4-chloroaniline (4-CA), 1-amino-2-naphtol (1-A2N) and 2, 4-dichloroaniline (2, 4-DCA). The MOF was characterized by SEM, TEM, FT-IR, EDS, thermogravimetry, VSM and XRD. The method was optimized by response surface methodology combined with desirability function approach, specifically with respect to pH value of the sample, amount of sorbent, sorption time, salt concentration, sample volume, type and volume of the eluent, and elution time. Following elution with acetonitrile, the analytes were quantified by HPLC with photodiode array detection. Responses are linear in 0.1-2000 μg·L^-1 concentration ranges. The limits of detection and relative standard deviations (for n = 5) are in the range of 0.03-0.2 μg·L^-1 and 3.5-12.6%, respectively. Enrichment factors are 113, 61, 87, 144 and 114 for 4-NP, 4-CP, 4-CA, 1-A2N and 2,4-DCA, respectively. Recoveries from spiked samples ranged from 39.5 to 93.3%. The magnetic sorbent was successfully applied to the coextraction and determination of the analytes in river, rain and hookah water samples. Graphical abstract Schematic presentation for the synthesis of (a) Fe₃O₄ nanoparticles (NPs) and (b) Fe₃O₄@MIL-53(Fe). Fe₃O₄@MIL-53(Fe) was employed as a new nanosorbent in dispersive micro-solid phase extraction of phenols and anilines. The limits of detection are in the range of 0.03-0.2 μg·L^-1.

Polystyrene-divinyl benzene microspheres with amino methyl phosphonic acid functional hairy brushes for the sorption and speciation of chromium prior to inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometric determination

This article describes the synthesis and application of a novel sorbent for Cr(III) and Cr(VI) speciation prior to their quantitation by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry. The sorbent consists of polystyrene-divinyl benzene microbeads that were graft-coated with poly(oligo (ethylene glycol) methacrylate)-block-poly(glycidyl methacrylate). The particles were finally modified with phosphomethylated triethylene tetramine. The resulting microbeads are shown to be a viable sorbent for Cr(VI). The total concentration of chromium was determined after oxidation of Cr(III) to Cr(VI) with KMnO₄ using the novel sorbent. The Cr(III) amount was then calculated by subtracting the concentration of Cr(VI) from that of total chromium. The optimum conditions for batch type sorption were established. Under optimal conditions, the limit of detection and quantification are 0.015 μg L^-1 and 0.050 μg L^-1, respectively. The kinetics and isotherms of the sorption of Cr(VI) were investigated. Following desorption with 0.1 M hydroxylamine hydrochloride, the method was successfully applied to spiked real water samples and a certified reference material. Graphical abstract Schematic presentation of a method for the sorption and speciation of chromium using amino methyl phosphonic acid functional brushes on polystyrene-divinyl benzene microspheres.

Magnetic nanostructures for preconcentration, speciation and determination of chromium ions: A review

Magnetic nanoparticles based solid-phase extraction is a new analytical technique based on the use of magnetic sorbents for the preconcentration and quantification of different inorganic and organic species. The present review concentrates on recent developments that have been built in magnetic nanostructures-based solid phase extraction, speciation and quantification of chromium ions. Besides, a description of the preparation, characterization as well as applications of various types of magnetic nanostructures, either with an inorganic or organic coating of the magnetic core, is presented. In addition, the most important analytical characteristics such as preconcentration factor, linear range, and limits of detection were carefully reported and compared. On the other hand, the removal of the chromium ions by magnetic solid phase extraction was not discussed in the review.

The development of a ternary nanocomposite for the removal of Cr(vi) ions from aqueous solutions

The aim of this study is to develop a ternary nanocomposite (NC) of polyaniline (PANI)/2-acrylamido-2-methylpropanesulfonic acid (AMPSA)-capped silver nanoparticles (NPs)/graphene oxide quantum dots (PANI/Ag (AMPSA)/GO QDs) as an efficient adsorbent for the removal of the highly toxic hexavalent chromium (Cr(vi)) from polluted water. PANI/Ag (AMPSA)/GO QDs NC was synthesized via in situ oxidative polymerization. The effects of pH, adsorbent dose, initial concentration, temperature, contact time, ionic strength and co-existing ions on the removal of Cr(vi) by PANI/Ag (AMPSA)/GO QDs were investigated. The PANI/Ag (AMPSA)/GO QDs NC (25.0 mg) removed 99.9% of Cr(vi) from an aqueous solution containing 60 mg L⁻¹ Cr(vi) ions at pH 2. Energy dispersive X-ray (EDX) and inductively coupled plasma spectrometry (ICP) studies confirmed the adsorption of Cr(vi) and that some of the adsorbed Cr(vi) was reduced to Cr(iii). Cr(vi) removal by the PANI/Ag (AMPSA)/GO QDs NC followed the pseudo-second order kinetic model, and the removal was highly selective for Cr(vi) in the presence of other co-existing ions. In summary, the PANI/Ag (AMPSA)/GO QDs NC has potential as a novel adsorbent for Cr(vi).

The aim is to develop a ternary nanocomposite of polyaniline/2-acrylamido-2-methylpropanesulfonic acid-capped silver nanoparticles/graphene oxide quantum dots as an efficient adsorbent for the removal of the highly toxic hexavalent chromium (Cr(vi)) from polluted water.

Core-shell Fe3O4 polydopamine nanoparticles as sorbent for magnetic dispersive solid-phase extraction of copper from food samples

In the present study, core-shell Fe₃O₄ polydopamine nanoparticles were synthesized and used for the first time as an adsorbent for the vortex assisted magnetic dispersive solid phase extraction of copper from food samples. After elution, copper in the solutions was determined by FAAS. The adsorbent was characterized using X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, Brunauer-Emmett-Teller surface area, and zeta potential measurements. Various parameters affecting the magnetic dispersive solid-phase extraction were evaluated. The optimum pH and magnetic adsorbent amount were found to be 5 and 40 mg, respectively. Elution was made by 3 mL of 2 mol L^-1 HNO₃.The major advantage of the method is the fast equilibration during adsorption without the need for vortexing or shaking. The preconcentration factor and detection limit of the method were found to be 150 and 0.22 mg L^-1, respectively. The precision (as RSD%) and adsorption capacity of the method were 3.7% and 28 mg g^-1, respectively. The method was successfully verified by analyzing four certified reference materials (SPS-WW1 Batch 114 Wastewater, TMDA-53.3 Lake water, BCR-482 Lichen and 1573a Tomato Leaves) and by addition/recovery tests of copper standard solution in organic baby food, muesli, macaroni, honey, and milk samples.

Polyaniline-based adsorbents for removal of hexavalent chromium from aqueous solution: a mini review

Hexavalent chromium (Cr(VI)) is a common hazardous contaminant in the environment and carcinogenic or mutagenic to aquatic animals and human beings. Therefore, the removal and detoxification of Cr(VI) have been attracting increasing attention of researchers. Among various conducting polymers, polyaniline (PANI)-based adsorbents have shown an excellent performance on the removal of Cr(VI) because of their redox properties, eased synthesis, and favorable biocompatibility. In this review, the characteristics of various PANI-based adsorbents were described, including PANI-modified nanofiber mats and membranes, PANI/bio-adsorbents, PANI/magnetic adsorbents, PANI/carbon adsorbents, PANI-modified clay composites, and PANI-inorganic hybrid composites. The mechanisms for the detoxification and adsorption of Cr(VI) were also discussed. The results indicated the potential applications of PANI-based adsorbents for the removal of Cr(VI). Graphical abstract ᅟ.

Selective adsorption and determination of hexavalent chromium ions using graphene oxide modified with amino silanes

Novel adsorbents are described for the preconcentration of chromium(VI). Graphene oxide (GO) was modified with various amino silanes containing one, two, or three nitrogen atoms in the molecule. These include 3-aminopropyltriethoxysilane (APTES), N-(3-trimethoxysilylpropyl)ethylenediamine (TMSPEDA), and N1-(3-trimethoxysilylpropyl)diethylenetriamine (TMSPDETA). The resulting GO derivatives were characterized by scanning electron microscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and energy-dispersive X-ray fluorescence spectrometry (EDXRF). Adsorption studies show that these GO based sorbents are highly selective for Cr(VI) in the presence of Cr(III) at pH 3.5. Although the amino silanes applied in modification of GO contain different numbers of nitrogen atoms, the maximum adsorption capacities of GO derivatives are very similar (13.3-15.1 mg·g-1). Such results are in accordance with spectroscopy studies which show that the amount of amino silanes attached to GO decreases in the order of APTES > TMSPEDA > TMSPDETA. The APTES-modified GO was applied to selective and sensitive extraction of Cr(VI) ions prior to quantitation by low-power EDXRF using the Cr Kα line. The Cr(VI) ions need not be eluted from the solid adsorbent. The method has a 0.17 ng·mL-1 detection limit, and the recovery is 99.7 ± 2.2% at a spiking level of 10 ng·mL-1. The method was successfully applied to the determination of Cr(VI) in water samples. Graphical abstractGraphene oxide adsorbents modified with various amino silanes are described for the preconcentration and speciation of trace and ultratrace levels of chromium ions.

Poly(2-aminobenzothiazole)-coated graphene oxide/magnetite nanoparticles composite as an efficient sorbent for determination of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs in urine sample

In this study, for the first time, 2-aminobenzothiazole monomer was polymerized on Fe3O4 NPs, graphene oxide/Fe3O4 (GO/Fe3O4) and graphene/Fe3O4 (G/Fe3O4) nanocomposites. The synthesized magnetic nanosorbents were characterized by various techniques. The extraction ability of these nanosorbents including Fe3O4, GO/Fe3O4, G/Fe3O4, Fe3O4@poly(2-aminobenzothiazole) (Fe3O4@PABT), GO/Fe3O4@PABT and G/Fe3O4@PABT were compared for dispersive-micro-solid phase extraction of three non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. The results revealed that GO/Fe3O4@PABT nanocomposite demonstrates higher extraction efficiency for naproxen, diclofenac and ibuprofen as selected model analytes. Following the sorption and elution steps, the model analytes were quantified by high performance liquid chromatography-photo diode array detection. Afterwards, a central composite design methodology combined with desirability function approach was applied to find out the optimal experimental conditions. Under the optimized conditions, the limits of detection and linear dynamic ranges were achieved in the range of 0.07-0.3 μg L(-1) and 0.25-2000 μg L(-1), respectively. The percent of extraction recovery was 87.4, 85.5 and 90.5% for naproxen, diclofenac and ibuprofen, respectively. The obtained relative standard deviation (n=5) was 7.2, 5.4 and 6.4% for naproxen, diclofenac and ibuprofen, respectively. Ultimately, this method was employed for urinary monitoring of the target analytes and satisfactory results were obtained.

Coextraction of acidic, basic and amphiprotic pollutants using multiwalled carbon nanotubes/magnetite nanoparticles@polypyrrole composite

The simultaneous extraction of acidic, basic and amphiprotic pollutants from various samples is a considerable and disputable concept in sample preparation strategies. In this study, for the first time, coextraction of acidic, basic and amphiprotic pollutants (polar and apolar) with multiwalled carbon nanotubes/Fe3O4@polypyrrole (MWCNTs/Fe3O4@PPy) composite based dispersive micro-solid phase extraction followed by high performance liquid chromatography-photo diode array detection was introduced. Firstly, the extraction efficiency of various magnetic nanosorbents including Fe3O4, MWCNTs/Fe3O4, graphene oxide/Fe3O4 (GO/Fe3O4), Fe3O4@PPy, MWCNTs/Fe3O4@PPy and GO/Fe3O4@PPy were compared. The results revealed that MWCNTs/Fe3O4@PPy nanocomposite has higher extraction efficiency for five selected model analytes (4-nitrophenol, 3-nitroaniline, 2,4-dichloroaniline, 3,4-dichloroaniline and 1-amino-2-naphthol). Box-Behnken design methodology combined with desirability function approach was applied to find out the optimal experimental conditions. The opted conditions were: pH of the sample, 8.2; sorbent amount, 12 mg; sorption time, 5.5 min; salt concentration, 14% w/w; type and volume of the eluent, 120 μL acetonitrile; elution time; 2 min. Under the optimum conditions detection limits and linear dynamic ranges were achieved in the range of 0.1-0.25 μg L(-1) and 0.5-600 μg L(-1), respectively. The percent of extraction recovery and relative standard deviations (n=5) were in the range of 45.6-82.2 and 4.0-8.5, respectively. Ultimately, the applicability of this method was successfully confirmed by analyzing rain, snow and river water samples and satisfactory results were obtained.

Synthesis and application of a novel magnetic metal-organic framework nanocomposite for determination of Cd, Pb, and Zn in baby food samples

This work describes the synthesis and application of a novel magnetic metal-organic framework (MOF) [(Fe3O4-2,5-dimercapto-1,3,4-thiadiazole)/Cu3(benzene-1,3,5-tricarboxylate)2] to preconcentrate trace amounts of Cd(II), Pb(II), and Zn(II) ions. A Box–Behnken design was used to find the parameters affecting the preconcentration procedure through response surface methodology. Three variables including sorption time, amount of the magnetic sorbent, and sample pH were selected as affecting factors in the sorption step, and four parameters including type, volume, concentration of the eluent, and elution time were selected in the elution step for the optimization study. These values were 33 mg, 11 min, 5.7 EDTA, 4.3 mL, 0.64 mol L–l EDTA solution, 16 min, for amount of the magnetic sorbent, sorption time, sample pH, type, volume, and concentration of the eluent, and elution time, respectively. Following the sorption and elution steps, the ions were quantified by FAAS. The limits of detection were 0.10, 0.15, and 0.75 ng mL−1 for Cd(II), Zn(II), and Pb(II) ions, respectively. The relative standard deviations (RSD) of the method were less than 8.3% for five separate batch experiments in the determination of 25 μg L−1 of Cd(II), Zn(II), and Pb(II) ions. The sorption capacity of the magnetic MOF nanocomposite was 155 mg g−1 for Cd(II), 173 mg g−1 for Pb(II), and 190 mg g−1 for Zn(II). Finally, the magnetic MOF nanocomposite was successfully applied to rapidly extract trace amounts of heavy metal ions in baby food samples.

Solid phase extraction of heavy metal ions from agricultural samples with the aid of a novel functionalized magnetic metal–organic framework

This work describes synthesis of a novel magnetic metal–organic framework to preconcentrate the trace amounts of heavy metals. (a) Functionalized Fe₃O₄ by ethylenediamine. (b) Synthesis of the magnetic MOF nanocomposite.

A simple and fast method based on new magnetic ion imprinted polymer nanoparticles for the selective extraction of Ni(ii) ions in different food samples

A schematic diagram for the synthesis process of magnetic ion imprinted polymer nanoparticles.

Magnetic solid phase extraction of lead(ii) and cadmium(ii) on a magnetic phosphorus-containing polymer (M-PhCP) for their microsampling flame atomic absorption spectrometric determinations

A new magnetic phosphorus-containing polymeric sorbent was successfully used in solid phase extraction for the simple, fast and efficient preconcentration of trace Pb and Cd from environmental water samples.