Photocatalytic Performance of Functionalized Biopolymer for Neodymium (III) Sorption and the Recovery from Leachate Solution

Successive grafting of new sorbent bearing amino phosphonic groups based on chitosan nano magnetite particles was performed through successive coupling with formaldehyde. The produced composite was characterized by the high sorption capacity toward rare earth elements (REEs) and consists of different types of functional groups (phosphonic, hydroxyls and amine groups) that are used for enhancing the sorption properties. The chemical modification and the sorption mechanism were investigated through different analytical tools; i.e., FTIR, SEM, SEM-EDX, TGA, BET (surface area) and pHpzc. The sorption was investigated toward Nd(III) as one of the REE(III) members under ultraviolet (UV) and visible light (VL) conditions. The optimum sorption was found at pH0 4 and the sorption capacity was recorded at 0.871 and 0.779 mmol Nd g−1 under UV and VL respectively. Sorption isotherms and uptake kinetics were fitted by Langmuir and Sips and by pseudo-first order rate equation (PFORE) for the functionalized sorbent, respectively. The sorbent showed a relatively high-speed sorption kinetic (20 min). The bounded metal ions were progressively eluted using 0.2 M HCl solution with a desorption rate 10–15 min, while the loss in the total capacity after a series of sorption recycling (sorption/desorption) (five cycles) was limited (around 3%) with 100% of the desorption efficiency, indicating the high stability of the sorbent toward an acidic medium. The sorbent was used for the recovery of REEs from leach liquor residue after pretreatment for the extraction of particular elements. From these results (high loading capacity, high selectivity and high stability against acid treatments), we can see that the sorbent is a promising tool for the selective recovery of rare earth elements in the field of metal valorization.

A New Perspective on Adsorbent Materials Based Impregnated MgSiO3 with Crown Ethers for Palladium Recovery

The study of new useful, efficient and selective structures for the palladium ions’ recovery has led to the development of a new series of macromolecules. Thus, this study presents a comparative behavior of two crown benzene ethers that modify the magnesium silicate surface used as adsorbent for palladium. These crown ethers are dibenzo18-crown-6 (DB18C6) and dibenzo 30-crown-10 (DB30C10). The obtained materials were characterized by scanning electron microscope (SEM), energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX) and Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR). The specific surface area (BET) and point of zero charge (PZC) of the two materials were determined. The palladium ions’ recovery from synthetic aqueous solutions studies aimed to establish the adsorption mechanism. For this desideratum, the kinetic, equilibrium and thermodynamic studies show that MgSiO₃-DB30C10 have a higher adsorption capacity (35.68 mg g⁻¹) compared to MgSiO₃-DB18C6 (21.65 mg g⁻¹). Thermodynamic studies highlight that the adsorption of Pd(II) on the two studied materials are spontaneous and endothermic processes. The positive values of the entropy (ΔS⁰) suggest that the studied adsorption processes show a higher disorder at the liquid/solid interface. Desorption studies were also performed, and it was found that the degree of desorption was 98.3%.

Testing of Chemically Activated Cellulose Fibers as Adsorbents for Treatment of Arsenic Contaminated Water

Exposure to different arsenic concentrations (higher than 10 μg/L), either due to the direct consumption of contaminated drinking water or indirectly by using contaminated food is harmful for human health. Therefore, it is important to remove arsenic from aqueous solutions. Among many arsenic removal technologies, adsorption offers a promising solution with a good efficiency, however the material used as adsorbent play a very vital role. The present investigation evaluated the behavior of two cellulose-based adsorbent materials, i.e., viscose fibers (V) and its TEMPO (2,2,6,6-tetramethylpiperidine-1-oxyl) derivative, obtained by using the well-established TEMPO-mediated protocol (VF). Due to the known arsenic affinity for Fe ions the two materials were later doped with it. This was done after a preliminary functionalization with di-2-ethylhexyl phosphoric acid (DEHPA), to obtain two materials: V-DEHPA-Fe and VF-DEHPA-Fe. Arsenic adsorption is known to be pH dependent (between 6 and 8); therefore, the optimal pH range for As(V) adsorption has been established. In order to evaluate the adsorption mechanism for both the synthesized materials, the influence of contact time, temperature and initial concentration was evaluated. Langmuir, Freundlich and Sips equilibrium isotherm models were used in order to determine the ability of the model to describe As(V) adsorption process. The maximum adsorption capacity of the material V-DEHPA-Fe was 247.5 µg As(V)/g with an As(V) initial concentration of 5 mg/L and for the material VF-DEHPA-Fe it was 171.2 µg As(V)/g with initial concentration of 5 mg/L.

Nitrile-calixarene grafted magnetic graphene oxide for removal of arsenic from aqueous media: Isotherm, kinetic and thermodynamic studies

A novel adsorbent was developed based on nitrile functionalized calix [4]arene grafted onto magnetic graphene oxide (N-Calix-MGO) for remediation of arsenic (III) ions from aqueous media. The nanocomposite was characterized using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX). The effective parameters on adsorption efficiency such as pH, adsorbent dosage, contact time, initial concentration, and temperature were studied. The adsorption process was provided with a high removal efficiency up to (90%) at pH 6 which followed by IUPAC Type II pattern. The mathematical models of kinetics and isotherm validated the experimental process. The adsorption kinetic is followed pseudo-first-order model with R² > 0.9. The adsorption equilibrium was well fitted on the Freundlich model (R² ∼ 0.96) as compared Langmuir model (R² ∼ 0.75). Hence, the Freundlich model suggested a multilayer sorption pattern with a physisorption mechanism for arsenic (III) uptake ono developed nanocomposite with a sorption capacity of 67 mg/g for arsenic. The Gibbs free energy (ΔG° < -20 kJ/mol) showed As(III) uptake ono N-Calix-MGO nanocomposite was the physical adsorption mechanism.

Nd(III) and Gd(III) Sorption on Mesoporous Amine-Functionalized Polymer/SiO2 Composite

The strong demand for rare-earth elements (REEs) is driven by their wide use in high-tech devices. New processes have to be developed for valorizing low-grade ores or alternative metal sources (such as wastes and spent materials). The present work contributed to the development of new sorbents for the recovery of rare earth ions from aqueous solutions. Functionalized mesoporous silica composite was synthesized by grafting diethylenetriamine onto composite support. The physical and chemical properties of the new sorbent are characterized using BET, TGA, elemental analysis, titration, FTIR, and XPS spectroscopies to identify the reactive groups (amine groups: 3.25 mmol N g-1 and 3.41 by EA and titration, respectively) and their mode of interaction with Nd(III) and Gd(III). The sorption capacity at the optimum pH (i.e., 4) reaches 0.9 mmol Nd g-1 and 1 mmol Gd g-1. Uptake kinetics are modeled by the pseudo-first-order rate equation (equilibrium time: 30-40 min). At pH close to 4-5, the sorbent shows high selectivity for rare-earth elements against alkali-earth elements. This selectivity is confirmed by the efficient recovery of REEs from acidic leachates of gibbsite ore. After elution (using 0.5 M HCl solutions), selective precipitation (using oxalate solutions), and calcination, pure rare earth oxides were obtained. The sorbent shows promising perspective due to its high and fast sorption properties for REEs, good recycling, and high selectivity.

Hexylresorcinol calix[4]arene-assisted synthesis of ZnO–Au micro–nano materials with enhanced photodegradation performance to degrade harmful organic compounds

HRCA not only acts as a reducing agent, but also plays a role in morphology regulation in the synthesis of ZnO–Au micro–nano materials. Gold particles deposited on the formed ZnO sheets and prevented the sheet-like ZnO from accumulating.

Batch and Fixed-Bed Column Studies on Palladium Recovery from Acidic Solution by Modified MgSiO3

Effective recovery of palladium ions from acidic waste solutions is important due to palladium’s intensive usage as a catalyst for different industrial processes and to the high price paid for its production from natural resources. In this paper, we test the ability of a new adsorbent, MgSiO₃ functionalized by impregnation with DL-cysteine (cys), for palladium ion recovery from waste solutions. The Brunauer–Emmett–Teller (BET) surface area analysis, Barrett–Joyner–Halenda (BJH) pore size and volume analysis, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy dispersive X-ray (EDX) spectroscopy and Fourier-Transformed Infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy have been performed to characterize this material. Firstly, the maximum adsorption capacity of the new obtained material, MgSiO₃-cys, in batch, was studied. To establish the adsorption mechanism, the obtained experimental data were fitted using the Langmuir, Freundlich and Sips adsorption isotherms. Studies on the adsorption of palladium ions on the synthesized material were performed in a dynamic regime, in a fixed-bed column. The Pd(II) recovery mechanism in the dynamic column regime was established based on Bohart–Adams, Yoon–Nelson, Thomas, and Clark models. The obtained equilibrium adsorption capacity was 9.3 (mg g⁻¹) in static regime (batch) and 3 (mg g⁻¹) in dynamic regime (column). The models that best describe the Pd(II) recovery process for batch and column adsorption are Sips and Clark, respectively.

Calix[n]arene/Pillar[n]arene-Functionalized Graphene Nanocomposites and Their Applications

Calix[n]arenes and pillar[n]arenes, which contain repeating units of phenol and methane, are class of synthetic cyclic supramolecules. Their rigid structure, tunable cavity size, flexible functionalization, and rich host-guest properties make them ideal surface modifiers to construct functional hybrid materials. Introduction of the calix[n]arene/pillar[n]arene species to the graphene may bring new interesting or enhanced physicochemical/biological properties by combining their individual characteristics. Reported methods for the surface modification of graphene with calix[n]arene/pillar[n]arene utilize either covalent or non-covalent approaches. This mini-review presents the recent advancements in the functionalization of graphene nanomaterials with calix[n]arene/pillar[n]arene and their applications. At the end, the future outlook and challenges for the continued research of calix[n]arene/pillar[n]arene-functionalized graphene nanohybrids in the development of applied nanoscience are thoroughly discussed.

Modified Chitosan for Silver Recovery-Kinetics, Thermodynamic, and Equilibrium Studies

The aim of this study is to investigate the silver recovery from aqueous solutions. There are a variety of recovery methods, such as hydrometallurgical, bio-metallurgical, cementation, reduction, electrocoagulation, electrodialysis, ion exchange, etc. Adsorption represents a convenient, environment friendly procedure, that can be used to recover silver from aqueous solutions. In this paper we highlight the silver adsorption mechanism on chitosan chemically modified with active groups, through kinetic, thermodynamic, and equilibrium studies. A maximum adsorption capacity of 103.6 mg Ag(I)/g of adsorbent for an initial concentration of 700 mg/L was noticed by using modified chitosan. Lower adsorption capacity has been noticed in unmodified chitosan—a maximum of 75.43 mg Ag(I)/g. Optimum contact time was 120 min and the process had a maximum efficiency when conducted at pH higher than 6. At the same time, a way is presented to obtain metallic silver from the adsorbent materials used for the recovery of the silver from aqueous solutions.

Electrochemical detection of dopamine by a calixarene-cellulose acetate mixed Langmuir-Blodgett monolayer

The sensing performance of a Langmuir-Blodgett monolayer was significantly improved by controlling the film organization at the air-water interface. Cellulose acetate (CA) and 4-tert-butylcalix [6]arene (calix) were co-spread and formed a Langmuir film, which was efficiently transferred onto a preoxidized gold electrode, Au_ox. The modified gold electrode was applied as a fast, highly sensitive electrochemical sensing platform for the quantitative determination of a model molecule, dopamine (DA). The modified gold electrode, CA-calix/Au_ox, demonstrated better recognition and sensing ability towards dopamine as compared with electrodes modified by a single component. Under the optimized conditions, the reduction peak currents at the CA-calix/Au_ox increased linearly within the concentration range of dopamine from 5 to 100 and 100-7500 nM, and exhibited a very low limit of detection (LOD) of 2.54 nM (S/N = 3). These results suggest a simple, superior and efficient approach for the controllable rearrangement of Langmuir-Blodgett monolayers on a molecular level. The electroanalytical performance was optimized from the perspective of the electrode-electrolyte interface.

The rheological behavior of graphite oxide/cationic polyacrylamide suspensions

Steady and dynamic tests were carried out to analyze the rheological behavior of GO/CPAM suspensions.

Calixarene-functionalized graphene oxide composites fixed on glassy carbon electrodes for electrochemical detection

Four composite materials were prepared by grafting calixarene derivatives onto the surfaces of graphene oxide (GO) via covalent functionalization to yield covalently functionalized graphene oxides (CFGOs).

Synthesis of a thiacalix[4]arenetetrasulfonate-functionalized reduced graphene oxide adsorbent for the removal of lead(ii) and cadmium(ii) from aqueous solutions

A thiacalix[4]arenetetrasulfonate-functionalized reduced graphene oxide (TCAS–rGO) adsorbent was synthesized and used as an adsorbent for the removal of lead(ii) and cadmium(ii) from aqueous solutions.