Chemically modified sugarcane bagasse-based biocomposites for efficient removal of acid red 1 dye: Kinetics, isotherms, thermodynamics, and desorption studies

Ecofriendly Approach on the Removal of Reactive Orange 107 from Aqueous Solutions Using Cladophora Species as a Novel Biosorbent

The efficiency of Cladophora species for the removal of Reactive Orange 107 (RO107) from the aqueous solution was evaluated through batch adsorption studies by optimising various process parameters such as pH (3-8), dye concentration (100-500 mg/l), biosorbent concentration (100-500 mg/l), temperature (25-45 °C) and contact time (12-108 h). The results revealed that the optimum conditions for RO107 decolourisation (87%) was found on 72 h of incubation with 100 mg/l dye concentration amended with 200 mg/l biosorbent at pH 6 at 25 °C. The mechanism of dye adsorption was evaluated using isotherms, kinetics and thermodynamic models. The experimental data fitted well with Langmuir isotherm and pseudo-second-order kinetic models. Thermodynamic studies revealed that the adsorption process was endothermic, spontaneous and feasible in nature. Recovery of RO107 from the Cladophora sp. was maximum when 0.1 M HNO3 was used as an eluent. UV-Visible, FT-IR and SEM analyses reveal the interaction between the biosorbent-adsorbate and confirm the process of decolourisation by Cladophora sp. In order to evaluate the nature of the untreated and treated dye solutions, toxicological studies were conducted and the results revealed that the treated dye solution was non- toxic as compared with untreated dye solution. The results of the docking study proved that there was a substantial binding energy between RO107 and the protein (Cytochrome C6) of Cladophora sp. Hence, Cladophora sp. proves to be a promising biosorbent to decolourise RO107 and its potential can be explored in the textile sectors.

Study on adsorption of salicylic acid and sulfosalicylic acid by MOF-sodium alginate gel beads obtained in a green way

A composite (ZS-UiO-66-NH2) zirconium crosslinked sodium alginate gel beads (ZS)-metal-organic skeleton (UiO-66-NH2) were prepared in this study through in-situ growth under simple, green and mild conditions for removal of the salicylic acid (SA) and sulfosalicylic acid (SSA) from water. The physicochemical properties of ZS-UiO-66-NH2 were characterized using various analytical methods. The influencing factors in the adsorption process including pH of solution, amount of adsorbent, coexisting ions, adsorption time, reaction temperature and equilibrium concentration of SA/SSA were performed in batch adsorption. The experimental results indicated that ZS-UiO-66-NH2 had high stability and could achieve efficient adsorption of SA/SSA in broad pH range (2-9) and salinity (0-0.2 mol·L-1). SA and SSA adsorbed on the composite at 293 K reached high values of 193 and 167 mg·g-1 from Langmuir model, respectively. Kinetic and isotherm studies demonstrated that the adsorption processes were mainly multilayer heterogeneous chemisorption. Thermodynamic data manifested that the two processes were exothermic and spontaneous with increasing entropy. ZS-UiO-66-NH2 can effectively remove SA/SSA from simulated wastewater under different pH and can be reused after elution with a NaHCO3 solution (5 mmol·L-1). The ZS-UiO-66-NH2 composite has great potential for removing SA/SSA from actual water bodies.

Mechanistic view of MoS2 confined chitosan-polyaniline hybrid composite for the photo-oxidation of cationic dyes

In this article, we describe the formulation of polyaniline-chitosan/MoS2 (PANI-CS @MoS2) blended composite and evaluated its efficiency to degrade the dye molecules Rhodamine B (RhB) and Malachite Green (MG) under visible light. In the photocatalytic mechanism, the CS acts as an electron carrier and binding agent during the oxidation reaction to decrease the recombination of electrons and holes generated by the irradiation of light. FTIR, XPS, XRD, TG, Zeta Potential, UV, SEM, AFM and TEM were used to characterize the PANI-CS@MoS2 composite after it had been synthesized. For the degradation analysis, 30 mg/L concentrations of 50 mL MG and RhB dye solutions were used. The recommended dosage of the composite was 100 mg. For MG and RhB dyes, the colour removal rates were 96.2 % and 91.5 %, respectively, under exposure to visible light and at the pH ranges of 8-11. After being exposed to visible light for 60 min, the whole decay process was accomplished. The photocatalyst offers great extensibility up to five iterations. The Langmuir-Hinshelwood kinetic model governs the rate of dye molecules degradation. The result of the study revealed that the PANI-CS@MoS2 composite matrix perhaps be a trustworthy and practical substrate for the efficient refinement of dye-deteriorated water⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

Preparation and application of irradiated polyvinyl alcohol/starch/pumice composites for adsorption of basic dye: Isotherm and kinetics study

Even at low concentrations, organic dye pollution entering water resources from the textile, paper, and pharmaceutical industry sectors poses a serious hazard to human and aquatic life. One of the most significant remediation methods is the adsorption method. In the present study, the uptake of basic violet 7 (BV7) synthetic dye was investigated utilizing Poly (vinyl alcohol)/starch/Pumice [poly (PVA/St/Pu)] composite films prepared by a simple casting of both PVA and St with Pu and then irradiated by electron beam (EB) source to prompt curing. Numerous characterization methods, such as SEM, FTIR, X-ray diffraction (XRD, and other measurements, were examined on the prepared sample. The tensile strength (TS) of all composites was increased by increasing the radiation dose up to 10 kGy. TS was increased by 3 php of Pu, and an overload of Pu led to a decrease in TS values. The elongation at break (Eb) of the prepared composite increased at 3 Pu, then decreased as the quantity of the pumice increased, while the Eb was decreased by irradiation. The effects of the produced polymeric films' composition and irradiation dose on the basic violet 7 (BV 7) dye adsorption were studied. It was found that the adsorption capacity of poly (PVA/St/9 php Pu-10 kGy) toward the BV 7 dye was 64.9 mg/g at the optimal conditions: pH = 11, contact time = 480 min., adsorbent dosage = 0.2 g., concentration = 150 mg/l, and temperature = 298 K. The adsorption process fitted with the pseudo-second-order model, Freundlich adsorption isotherms were found to be spontaneous and endothermic.

Utilization of Low Cost Biofertilizers for Adsorptive Removal of Congo Red Dye

Presence of colors, organic surface finishing agents and surfactants in textile industry effluent makes it highly detrimental for surrounding environment. Hence the effluent from textile industry needs treatment for removal of these colors, organic and inorganic components before its disposal. Hence applicability of low cost and environmental friendly biosorbents, Azospirillium biofertilizer and Rhizobium biofertilizer were investigated for removal of Congo red dye. Batch experimentation was carried out to check operating parameters like, temperature, dose of adsorbent, pH, agitation speed, contact time and initial concentration. The biosorption capacity for Congo red dye was 67.114 and 101.01 mg/g, for Azospirillium biofertilizer and Rhizobium biofertilizer, respectively at optimized parameters. RL factor was 0.558 and 0.568 for Azospirillium biofertilizer and Rhizobium biofertilizer. The data showed combination of interaction-based separation through better fitting of Langmuir isotherm compared to Freundlich. Its separation is well described by Pseudo-second order and intraparticle diffusion model. Adsorption was favorable at lower temperature suggesting exothermic and spontaneous nature. Reusability for Azospirillium biofertilizer and Rhizobium biofertilizer was checked for 25 mg/land. While the biological nature of Azospirillium and Rhizobium biofertilizer makes removal of Congo red dye environmentally benign.

Adsorption and catalytic degradation of bisphenol A and p-chlorophenol by magnetic carbon nanotubes

Phenolic compounds are common industrial pollutants that seriously endangers water ecology and human health. Therefore, the development of efficient and recyclable adsorbents is of importance for wastewater treatment. In this research, HCNTs/Fe3O4 composites were constructed using co-precipitation way by loading magnetic Fe3O4 particles onto hydroxylated multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs), showing excellent adsorption capacity for Bisphenol A (BPA) and p-chlorophenol (p-CP), and excellent catalytic ability of activating potassium persulphate (KPS) for degradation of BPA and p-CP. The adsorption capacity and catalytic degradation potential were evaluated for the removal of BPA and p-CP from solutions. The results showed that the adsorption took only 1 h to reach equilibrium and HCNTs/Fe3O4 had maximum adsorption capacities of 113 mg g-1 for BPA and 41.6 mg g-1 for p-CP at 303 K, respectively. The adsorption of BPA fitted well using the Langmuir, Temkin and Freundlich models while the adsorption of p-CP fitted well using the Freundlich and Temkin models. BPA adsorption on HCNTs/Fe3O4 was dominated by π-π stacking and hydrogen bonding forces. The adsorption included both the mono-molecular layer adsorption on the adsorbent surface and the multi-molecular layer adsorption on the non-uniform surface. The adsorption of p-CP on HCNTs/Fe3O4 was a multi-molecular layer adsorption on a dissimilar surface. The adsorption was controlled by forces such as π-π stacking, hydrogen bonding, partition effect and molecular sieve effect. Moreover, KPS was added to the adsorption system to initiate a heterogeneous Fenton-like catalytic degradation. Over a wide pH range (4-10), 90% of the aqueous BPA solution and 88% of the p-CP solution were degraded in 3 and 2 h, respectively. After three adsorption-regeneration or degradation cycles, the removal of BPA and p-CP remained up to 88% and 66%, indicating that HCNTs/Fe3O4 composite is cost-effective, stable and highly efficient to remove BPA and p-CP from solution.

Efficient and Selective Adsorption of Cationic Dye Malachite Green by Kiwi-Peel-Based Biosorbents

In this study, pristine kiwi peel (KP) and nitric acid modified kiwi peel (NA-KP) based adsorbents were prepared and evaluated for selective removal of cationic dye. The morphology and chemical structure of KP and NA-KP were fully characterized and compared, and results showed nitric acid modification introduced more functional groups. Moreover, the adsorption kinetics and isotherms of malachite green (MG) by KP and NA-KP were investigated and discussed. The results showed that the adsorption process of MG onto KP followed a pseudo-second-order kinetic model and the Langmuir isotherm model, while the adsorption process of MG onto NA-KP followed a pseudo-first-order kinetic model and the Freundlich isotherm model. Notably, the Langmuir maximum adsorption capacity of NA-KP was 580.61 mg g^-1, which was superior to that of KP (297.15 mg g^-1). Furthermore, thermodynamic studies demonstrated the feasible, spontaneous, and endothermic nature of the adsorption process of MG by NA-KP. Importantly, NA-KP showed superior selectivity to KP towards cationic dye MG against anionic dye methyl orange (MO). When the molar ratio of MG/MO was 1:1, the separation factor (α_MG/MO) of NA-KP was 698.10, which was 5.93 times of KP. In addition, hydrogen bonding, π-π interactions, and electrostatic interaction played important roles during the MG adsorption process by NA-KP. This work provided a low-cost, eco-friendly, and efficient option for the selective removal of cationic dye from dyeing wastewater.

Enhanced dye adsorption with conductive polyaniline doped chitosan nanofibrous membranes

Polyaniline is widely used in the field of electrochemistry due to its excellent electrical conductivity. However, its effectiveness and mechanism of enhancing adsorption property are unclear. Herein, chitosan/polyaniline nanofibrous composite membranes with average diameter ranging from 200 to 300 nm were fabricated by electrospinning technology. The as-prepared nanofibrous membranes exhibited significantly improved adsorption capacity of 814.9 mg/g and 618.0 mg/g towards acid blue 113 and reactive orange dyes, which were 121.8 % and 99.4 % higher than that of pure chitosan membrane. The doped polyaniline promoted the dye transfer rate and capacity due to the enhanced conductivity of the composite membrane. Kinetic data showed that chemisorption was the rate-limiting step, and thermodynamic data indicated the adsorption of the two anionic dyes was spontaneous monolayer adsorption. This study provides a feasible strategy to introduce conductive polymer into adsorbent to construct high performance adsorbents for wastewater treatment.

Rice husk valorization into sustainable Ni@TiO2/biochar nanocomposite for highly selective Pb (II) ions removal from an aqueous media

Herein, we successfully prepared sustainable nanocomposites from agriculture waste (rice husk)-derived biochar precursor, and followed by nickel-doped, base-treated titanium dioxide nanomaterials loading for efficient lead (Pb²⁺) removal from aqueous media. By varying the loading contents of active materials, the optimized sample (Ni_0.01@Na-TiO₂/BC) possessed an efficient Pb²⁺ adsorption capability of 122.3 mg g^-1 under the under optimum adsorption parameters, which is attributable to its specific surface area (138.09 m² g^-1) and excess functional sites. Kinetic and Isothermal examination illustrated that Pb²⁺ adsorption phenomena was well followed through pseudo 2nd order and Langmuir models. In addition, superior Pb²⁺ ions adsorption selectivity was recorded by optimized sample in a multi-metallic system over other existing ion (such as Cd²⁺, Mg²⁺, Ca²⁺, Cu²⁺, and Zn²⁺). Desorption experiments has been performed by using desorbing agent that demonstrates the good regeneration ability of sample. Hence, these findings provide new insight for the biowaste management by converting them into innovative adsorbents for commercial scale environmental remediation.

Poly(lactic acid) based Pearl Layer Moistureproof Membrane for Flexible Laminated Packaging

The development of bio-based polymer materials, such as polylactic acid (PLA) -based polymers, is an effective strategy to reduce dependence on petrochemical-based polymers. However, the preparation of bio-based polymers with high barrier properties is a major challenge. To overcome this challenge, a nacreous layer structure with a ' brick and mud ' pattern is mimicked to improve the overall performance of the material. In this paper, Poly (_L -lactic acid) (PLLA) and Polypropylene Glycol (PPG) was combined to prepare bio-based polyurethane (PU-PLLA), which is used as the slurry structure of nacreous layer. The bio-based biomimetic composite membrane (PU-PLLA/BN) is then obtained by adding boron nitride (BN, brick structure of pearl layer) to it. The water vapor permeability test results show that the permeability of PU-PLLA material can be reduced by more than 50% by 5 wt.% BN, which is because the addition of BN can increase the length and tortuosity of the gas molecular diffusion path in the composite. Therefore, this pearl-inspired PU-PLLA/BN film has excellent moisture resistance, which opens up a broad road for the practical application of PLLA in flexible laminated packaging.

Sulfonate-modified calixarene-based porous organic polymers for electrostatic enhancement and efficient rapid removal of cationic dyes in water

Developing of fast and efficient adsorbents for removal of low concentration refractory organics in water is significant. Herein, a novel calix[4]arene-based porous organic polymer CaPy is constructed through Sonogashira-Hagihara cross-coupling polycondensation. The strong polar sulfonate is further anchored onto the polymer skeleton of CaPy and three sulfonate-modified anionic polymers CaPy-S1, CaPy-S2, and CaPy-S3 were obtained and fully characterized. The adsorption isotherms showed that the maximum adsorption capacities of CaPy, CaPy-S1, CaPy-S2, and CaPy-S3 toward methylene blue (MB) were 270, 1454, 558 and 1381 mg g^-1, whereas those for Rhodamine B (RhB) were 183, 2653, 1132, and 1796 mg g^-1, respectively. The maximum adsorption capacity toward RhB was the highest reported vale among the currently used synthetic adsorbents. In addition, the pseudo-second-order rate constants of CaPy, CaPy-S1, CaPy-S2, and CaPy-S3 toward MB were 0.00572, 0.488, 2.24, and 0.192 g mg^-1 min^-1, respectively, and those toward RhB were 0.000234, 0.138, 0.0819, and 0.203 g mg^-1 min^-1, respectively. The pseudo-second-order rate constant of CaPy-S2 toward MB was 2.24 g mg^-1 min^-1 indicating one of the highest adsorption speeds. The activation energy of CaPy-S1 for RhB and MB were 121 and 109 kJ mol^-1, respectively, demonstrating that the adsorption of both dyes on CaPy-S1 was chemisorption process. Further, the obtained values of Gibbs free energy were negative, revealing that the adsorption process was spontaneous. This work provides an effective approach for improving adsorption performance via post-modification.

Adsorption of nonylphenol on coastal saline soil: Will microplastics play a great role?

Microplastics widely exist in diverse matrices to become important hosts of pollutants. Little information regarding adsorption of emerging contaminants on coastal saline soils influenced by co-existing microplastics is available. Thus, the adsorption behaviors of nonylphenol (NP) on coastal saline soil influenced by microplastics were discussed. Polyvinyl chloride (PVC, 4.7 mm), polyethylene (4.85 mm), and polypropylene (4.51 mm) with addition dose of 10% were used to discuss the effect of microplastic type on adsorption of NP by coastal saline soil while PVC samples with size of 4.7 mm and 0.11 mm were used to explore the effect of microplastic size on NP adsorption. The NP adsorption capacity of the saline soil containing 10% of PVC (4.7 mm) was twice that of soil without PVC. Smaller-size PVC (0.11 mm) with addition amount of 10% enhanced the NP adsorption capacity of the coastal saline soil by 117% to reach 8.91 μg g^-1. The desorption capacity of NP on saline soil decreased from 40% to 30% of total adsorption capacity with co-existing PVC. Adsorption/desorption kinetics of NP on coastal saline soil with PVC microplastics could be well explained by pseudo second order model while Freundlich model could better fit the isotherm data of NP adsorption/desorption to show possible occurrence of the multiple-layer adsorption. This study will provide new information regarding the environmental behaviors of typical emerging contaminants on coastal saline soil containing microplastics.

Magnetized inulin by Fe3O4 as a bio-nano adsorbent for treating water contaminated with methyl orange and crystal violet dyes

Current work focuses on fabricating a new bio-nano adsorbent of Fe₃O₄@inulin nanocomposite via an in-situ co-precipitation procedure to adsorb methyl orange (MO) and crystal violet (CV) dyes from aqueous solutions. Different physical characterization analyses verified the successful fabrication of the magnetic nanocomposite. The adsorbent performance in dye removal was evaluated by varying initial dye concentration, adsorbent dosage, pH and temperature in 5110 mg/L, 0.10.8 g/L, 111 and 283-338 K, respectively. Due to the pH of zero point of charge and intrinsic properties of dyes, the optimum pHs were 5 and 7 for MO and CV adsorption, respectively. The correlation of coefficient (R²) and reduced chi-squared value were the criteria in order to select the best isotherm and kinetics models. The Langmuir model illustrated a better fit for the adsorption data for both dyes, demonstrating the maximum adsorption capacity of 276.26 and 223.57 mg/g at 338 K for MO and CV, respectively. As well, the pseudo-second-order model showed a better fitness for kinetics data compared to the pseudo-first-order and Elovich models. The thermodynamic parameters exhibited that the dye adsorption process is endothermic and spontaneous, which supported the enhanced adsorption rate by increasing temperature. Moreover, the nanocomposite presented outstanding capacity and stability after 6 successive cycles by retaining more than 87% of its initial dye removal efficiency. Overall, the magnetized inulin with Fe₃O₄ could be a competent adsorbent for eliminating anionic and cationic dyes from water.

Synthesis and Characterization of Hydroxyethyl Cellulose Grafted with Copolymer of Polyaniline and Polypyrrole Biocomposite for Adsorption of Dyes

The emerging concepts of sustainable textiles and controlled production strategy demands ideally zero emissions of contaminants into the aquatic environment. However, the currently in-practiced conventional processes in textiles dispose of a number of contaminants especially super toxic synthetic dyes as effluents. In recent years, nanomaterials have become attractive choice for eco-friendly removal of organic dyestuff. Accordingly, this article reports synthesis and characterization of biocomposite wherein copolymer of polyaniline (PANI) and Polypyrrole (PPY) was grafted onto hydroxyethyl cellulose (HEC). Further, adsorption properties of as-prepared composite were evaluated using textile dyes Rhodamine B (RhB) and methyl Orange (MO)- as model adsorbate. The characterization of novel biocomposite (HEC/PANI-PPy) was carried out using Fourier Transform Infrared (FT-IR), Brunauer-Emmett-Teller analyzer (BET), Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM), and powder X-ray diffraction (XRD). The operational parameters such as dye initial concentration, adsorbent amount, pH and contact time were also studied to evaluate the efficiency level of the prepared biocomposite. Interestingly, the composite-mediated adsorption of RhB and MO followed pseudo-second order and the Langmuir isotherm. It is found that the adsorption capacity HEC/PANI-PPy is 30.06 and 29.3 for RhB and MO respectively. Thus, HEC/PANI-PPy is an inexpensive and highly efficient adsorbent that could be employed for could be employed for the separation and removal of toxic organic dyes from polluted textile effluents.

Innovative progress in graphene derivative-based composite hybrid membranes for the removal of contaminants in wastewater: A review

Graphene derivatives (graphene oxide) are proved as an innovative carbon materials that are getting more attraction in membrane separation technology because of its unique properties and capability to attain layer-to-layer stacking, existence of high oxygen-based functional groups, and generation of nanochannels that successively enhance the selective pollutants removal performance. The review focused on the recent innovations in the development of graphene derivative-based composite hybrid membranes (GDHMs) for the removal of multiple contaminants from wastewater treatment. To design GDHMs, it was observed that at first GO layers undergo chemical treatments with either different polymers, plasma, or sulfonyl. After that, the chemically treated GO layers were decorated with various active functional materials (either with nanoparticles, magnetite, or nanorods, etc.). By preparing GDHMs, properties such as permeability, porosity, hydrophilicity, water flux, stability, feasibility, mechanical strength, regeneration ability, and antifouling tendency were excessively improved as compared to pristine GO membranes. Different types of novel GDHMs were able to remove toxic dyes (77-100%), heavy metals/ions (66-100%), phenols (40-100%), and pharmaceuticals (74-100%) from wastewater with high efficiency. Some of GDHMs were capable to show dual contaminant removal efficacy and antibacterial activity. In this study, it was observed that the most involved mechanisms for pollutants removal are size exclusion, transport, electrostatic interactions, adsorption, and donnan exclusion. In addition to this, interaction mechanism during membrane separation technology has also been elaborated by density functional theory. At last, in this review the discussion related to challenges, limitations, and future outlook for the applications of GDHMs has also been provided.

Polypyrrole/Magnetic/Tea Waste Composites for PO43− Ions Removal: Adsorption-Desorption, Kinetics, and Thermodynamics Studies

The polypyrrole (PPY/TW) and magnetic (MG/TW) composite with tea waste (TW) was prepared and used as an adsorbent for PO43− ions removal from aqueous media. The composite were characterized with SEM and FTIR techniques. Batch study was conducted to investigate the effect of different reaction parameters on the adsorption of PO43− ions. The native TW, PPY/TW, and MG/TW showed the PO43− ions removal of 7.2, 7.3, and 7.9 (mg/g), respectively, using 0.05 g adsorbent dose and 10 mg/L initial concentration of PO43− ions at pH of 6, 10, and 3, respectively, and equilibrium was reached in 90 min. Kinetics and isotherm models were employed on the PO43− ions adsorption data and PO43− ions adsorption followed the pseudo-second order kinetics, intraparticle diffusion, and Langmuir isotherm models. Thermodynamics analysis reveals an exothermic process and spontaneous adsorption of PO43− ions on the composites. Results revealed that the magnetic and polypyrrole composites with tea waste have auspicious potential as an adsorbent and this class of the composites can be utilized for the removal of PO43− ions from the effluents.

Mango Seed-Derived Hybrid Composites and Sodium Alginate Beads for the Efficient Uptake of 2,4,6-Trichlorophenol from Simulated Wastewater

In this study, mango seed shell (MS)-based hybrid composite and composite beads (FeCl3-NaBH4/MS and Na-Alginate/MS) were designed. Batch and column experimental analyses were performed for the uptake of 2,4,6-trichlorophenol (2,4,6-TCP) from wastewater. The physicochemical characteristics of both composites were also examined. From the batch adsorption experiments, the best adsorption capacities of 28.77 mg/g and 27.42 mg/g were observed in basic media (pH 9–10) at 308 K for FeCl3-NaBH4/MS and 333 K for Na-Alginate/MS with 25 mg/L of 2,4,6-TCP concentration for 120 min. The rate of reaction was satisfactorily followed by the pseudo-second-order kinetics. Equilibrium models revealed that the mechanism of reaction followed the Langmuir isotherm. The thermodynamic study also indicated that the nature of the reaction was exothermic and spontaneous with both adsorbents. Desorption experiments were also carried out to investigate the reliability and reusability of the composites. Furthermore, the efficiency of the adsorbents was checked in the presence of different electrolytes and heavy metals. From the batch experimental study, the FeCl3-NaBH4/MS composite proved to be the best adsorbent for the removal of the 2,4,6-TCP pollutant, hence it is further selected for fixed-bed column experimentation. The column study data were analyzed using the BDST and Thomas models and the as-selected FeCl3-NaBH4/MS hybrid composites showed satisfactory results for the fixed-bed adsorption of the 2,4,6-TPC contaminants.

Eco-Friendly Detoxification of Congo Red Dye from Water by Citric Acid Activated Bioadsorbents Consisting of Watermelon and Water Chestnuts Peels Collected from Indigenous Resources

The native peels of two cheap, locally available adsorbents, watermelon (PWM) and water chestnuts (PWC), were chemically processed with different chemicals as modifying agents for the determination and assessment of their adsorption ability for the removal and clearance of harmful, venomous, and pernicious Congo red (CGR), as an acidic nature anionic dye, from the aqueous system. In successive batch experiments, the citric acid-treated peels CPWM and CPWC have shown more promising adsorption performance than their raw and untreated peel counterparts due to the availability of additional adsorption active binding sites evidenced through FT-IR and SEM characterizations. In the Langmuir and Temkin models, the correlation coefficients ( $R^2$ ) for the adsorptive removal of CGR on CPWM, PWM, CPWC, and PWC are very close to unity, 0.99 for each case of adsorption performance. Furthermore, the $q_{\max }$ nonlinear statistical results for the elimination of CGR on citric acid-treated adsorbents (CPWM and CPWC) are 8.3 and 7.95 mg/g whereas for their unmodified forms (PWM and PWC) are 2.23 and 4.32 mg/g, respectively, reflecting homogenous and monolayer adsorption mechanism. The greater values of $B_T$ 1.4 and 1.3 J/mole, for adsorptive removal of dye on CPWM and CPWC, respectively, as compared to their unmodified forms PWM and PWC which are 0.53 and 0.55 J/mole, respectively, indicate the stronger adsorbate-adsorbent associations. The mechanism follows the pseudo second order in the better mode, while thermodynamic statics for ΔH0,ΔG0, ΔS0, and ΔE0, indicate spontaneous and exothermic behavior of adsorption. This study tends to suggest that citric acid-modified adsorbents CPWM and CPWC may indeed be exploited efficiently to eliminate Congo red dye from wastewater.

Nitrogen and Sulfur Co-Doped Graphene Quantum Dots Anchored TiO2 Nanocomposites for Enhanced Photocatalytic Activity

Herein, nitrogen (N) and sulfur (S) co-doped graphene quantum dots (GQDs) using different one-dimensional (1-D) carbon nanomaterials as precursors were synthesized, followed by heterojunction formation with TiO2. GQDs exhibit unlike physiochemical properties due to the disproportionate ratio of N and S heteroatoms and dissimilar reaction parameters. Tailored type-II band gap (Eg) alignment was formed with narrowed Eg value that improves photogenerated electron transfer due to π-conjugation. GQDs-TiO2 nanocomposites exhibit remarkably high methylene blue (MB) degradation up to 99.78% with 2.3–3 times elevated rate constants as compared with TiO2. CNF-GQDs-TiO2 demonstrates the fastest MB degradation (60 min) due to the synergistic effect of nitrogen and sulfur doping, and is considered the most stable photocatalyst among prepared nanocomposites as tested up to three cyclic runs. Whereas, C–O–Ti bonds were not only responsible for nanocomposites strengthening but also provide a charge transfer pathway. Moreover, charge transport behavior, generation of active species, and reaction mechanism were scrutinized via free-radical scavenger analysis.

Enzyme-Free Electrochemical Sensors for in situ Quantification of Reducing Sugars Based on Carboxylated Graphene-Carboxylated Multiwalled Carbon Nanotubes-Gold Nanoparticle-Modified Electrode

The reducing sugars of plants, including glucose, fructose, arabinose, galactose, xylose, and mannose, are not only the energy source of plants, but also have the messenger function of hormones in signal transduction. Moreover, they also determine the quality and flavor of agricultural products. Therefore, the in situ quantification of reducing sugars in plants or agriculture products is very important in precision agriculture. However, the upper detection limit of the currently developed sugar sensor is not high enough for in situ detection. In this study, an enzyme-free electrochemical sensor for in situ detection of reducing sugars was developed. Three-dimensional composite materials based on carboxylated graphene-carboxylated multi-walled carbon nanotubes attaching with gold nanoparticles (COOH-GR-COOH-MWNT-AuNPs) were formed and applied for the non-enzymatic determination of glucose, fructose, arabinose, mannose, xylose, and galactose. It was demonstrated that the COOH-GR-COOH-MWNT-AuNP-modified electrode exhibited a good catalysis behavior to these reducing sugars due to the synergistic effect of the COOH-GR, COOH-MWNT, and AuNPs. The detection range of the sensor for glucose, fructose, arabinose, mannose, xylose, and galactose is 5-80, 2-20, 2-50, 5-60, 2-40, and 5-40 mM, respectively. To our knowledge, the upper detection limit of our enzyme-free sugar sensor is the highest compared to previous studies, which is more suitable for in situ detection of sugars in agricultural products and plants. In addition, this sensor is simple and portable, with good reproducibility and accuracy; it will have broad practical application value in precision agriculture.

Hydrothermal and Co-Precipitated Synthesis of Chalcopyrite for Fenton-like Degradation toward Rhodamine B

In this study, Chalcopyrite (CuFeS2) was prepared by a hydrothermal and co-precipitation method, being represented as H-CuFeS2 and C-CuFeS2, respectively. The prepared CuFeS2 samples were characterized by scanning electron microscope (SEM), transmission electron microscope (TEM), energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy mapping (EDS-mapping), powder X-ray diffractometer (XRD), X-ray photoelectron spectrometry (XPS), and Raman microscope. Rhodamine B (RhB, 20 ppm) was used as the target pollutant to evaluate the degradation performance by the prepared CuFeS2 samples. The H-CuFeS2 samples (20 mg) in the presence of Na2S2O8 (4 mM) exhibited excellent degradation efficiency (98.8% within 10 min). Through free radical trapping experiment, the major active species were •SO4− radicals and •OH radicals involved the RhB degradation. Furthermore, •SO4− radicals produced from the prepared samples were evaluated by iodometric titration. In addition, one possible degradation mechanism was proposed. Finally, the prepared H-CuFeS2 samples were used to degrade different dyestuff (rhodamine 6G, methylene blue, and methyl orange) and organic pollutant (bisphenol A) in the different environmental water samples (pond water and seawater) with 10.1% mineral efficiency improvement comparing to traditional Fenton reaction.