Thermodynamic study of (anthracene + benzo[a]pyrene) solid mixtures

Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons: A Critical Review of Environmental Occurrence and Bioremediation

The degree of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon contamination of environmental matrices has increased over the last several years due to increase in industrial activities. Interest has surrounded the occurrence and distribution of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons for many decades because they pose a serious threat to the health of humans and ecosystems. The importance of the need for sustainable abatement strategies to alleviate contamination therefore cannot be overemphasised, as daily human activities continue to create pollution from polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and impact the natural environment. Globally, attempts have been made to design treatment schemes for the remediation and restoration of contaminated sites. Several techniques and technologies have been proposed and tested over time, the majority of which have significant limitations. This has necessitated research into environmentally friendly and cost-effective clean-up techniques. Bioremediation is an appealing option that has been extensively researched and adopted as it has been proven to be relatively cost-effective, environmentally friendly and is publicly accepted. In this review, the physicochemical properties of some priority polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, as well as the pathways and mechanisms through which they enter the soil, river systems, drinking water, groundwater and food are succinctly examined. Their effects on human health, other living organisms, the aquatic ecosystem, as well as soil microbiota are also elucidated. The persistence and bioavailability of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons are discussed as well, as they are important factors that influence the rate, efficiency and overall success of remediation. Bioremediation (aerobic and anaerobic), use of biosurfactants and bioreactors, as well as the roles of biofilms in the biological treatment of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons are also explored.

Thermodynamic study of (anthracene + phenanthrene) solid state mixtures

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) are common components of many materials, such as petroleum and various types of tars. They are generally present in mixtures, occurring both naturally and as byproducts of fuel processing operations. It is important to understand the thermodynamic properties of such mixtures in order to understand better and predict their behavior (i.e., fate and transport) in the environment and in industrial operations. To characterize better the thermodynamic behavior of PAH mixtures, the phase behavior of a binary (anthracene + phenanthrene) system was studied by differential scanning calorimetry, X-ray diffraction, and the Knudsen effusion technique. Mixtures of (anthracene + phenanthrene) exhibit non-ideal mixture behavior. They form a lower-melting, phenanthrene-rich phase with an initial melting temperature of 372 K (identical to the melting temperature of pure phenanthrene) and a vapor pressure of roughly lnP/Pa = -2.38. The phenanthrene-rich phase coexists with an anthracene-rich phase when the mole fraction of phenanthrene (x_P) in the mixture is less than or equal to 0.80. Mixtures initially at x_P = 0.90 consist entirely of the phenanthrene-rich phase and sublime at nearly constant vapor pressure and composition, consistent with azeotrope-like behavior. Quasi-azeotropy was also observed for very high-content anthracene mixtures (2.5 < x_P < 5) indicating that anthracene may accommodate very low levels of phenanthrene in its crystal structure.

Off–on fluorescent polyanthracene for recognition of ferric and fluoride ions in aqueous acidic media: application in pharmaceutical and environmental analysis

The sensing mechanism of PAT as a fluorescent probe is illustrated using a band diagram and spectral results.

Thermochemical and Vapor Pressure Behavior of Anthracene and Brominated Anthracene Mixtures

The present work concerns the thermochemical and vapor pressure behavior of the anthracene (1) + 2-bromoanthracene (2) and anthracene (1) + 9-bromoanthracene (3) systems. Solid-liquid equilibrium temperature and differential scanning calorimetry studies indicate the existence of a minimum melting solid state near an equilibrium temperature of 477.65 K at x₁ = 0.74 for the (1) + (2) system. Additionally, solid-vapor equilibrium studies for the (1) + (2) system show that the vapor pressure of the mixtures depends on composition, but does not follow ideal Raoult's law behaviour. The (1) + (3) system behaves differently from the (1) + (2) system. The (1) + (3) system has a solid solution like phase diagram. The system consists of two phases, an anthracene like phase and a 9-bromoanthracene like phase, while (1) + (2) mixtures only form a single phase. Moreover, experimental studies of the two systems suggest that the (1) + (2) system is in a thermodynamically lower energy state than the (1) + (3) system.

Thermodynamic study of binary mixture of citric acid and tartaric acid

The solid — liquid phase equilibria for binary mixture of citric acid with tartaric acid were measured using differential scanning calorimetry. The phase diagram showed the existence a simple eutectic behavior. The thermal properties of this system as heat of mixing, entropy of fusion and excess thermodynamic functions were computed using enthalpy of fusion values. The composition of eutectic was determined using a Tammann diagram.

Thermodynamics of Multicomponent PAH Mixtures and Development of Tar-Like Behavior

This study explores the solid/liquid phase behavior of mixtures of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), exploring the transition from non-ideal solid mixtures to a relatively ideal liquid behavior characteristic of "tars". PAH mixtures have been studied using differential scanning calorimetry, melting point analysis and Knudsen effusion. Mixtures of anthracene, pyrene and fluoranthene show behavior that is consistent with other binary PAH mixtures; that is, the initially solid mixture exhibits a significant melting point depression, relative to the pure components, and in a certain range of composition, solid azeotrope behavior on vaporization. As the number of distinct PAH species is increased (by adding in benzo[a]pyrene, phenanthrene, fluorene and chrysene) this behavior gradually gives way to liquid phase character at even room temperature, and the vaporization behavior approaches that crudely predictable from ideal mixture theory.