A new MOF-based modified adsorbent for the efficient removal of Hg(ii) ions from aqueous media: isotherms and kinetics

Herein, a new MOF-based modified adsorbent for the efficient removal of Hg(ii) ions from water media was successfully prepared. Initially, a MOF nanocomposite was synthesized and applied as an efficient adsorbent for the removal of the target heavy metal ion. Following the synthesis, the MOF-based modified adsorbent was identified and characterized by SEM, XRD and FT-IR analytical instruments. The impact of several key variables such as pH of aqueous solution, adsorbent dosage, contact time, and initial concentration of the analyte of interest on the adsorption efficiency was also investigated in detail. Under the optimal conditions established (pH, 3; dose of adsorbent, 0.4 g L-1; contact time, 40 min and the analyte's concentration of 1 mg L-1) the removal efficiency of 96.3% for Hg(ii) was obtained. The results of the studies on the isotherm and kinetics of adsorption revealed that the adsorption process of Hg(ii) matched with the Langmuir isotherm (R2 > 0.990) and the pseudo 2nd-order kinetic models (R2 > 0.998). Additionally, reuse of the applied adsorbent for five consecutive tests exhibited a small percentage of drop (about 8%) in the removal efficiency of the target ion. Finally, the results indicated that the MOF-based modified compound could be potentially applied as a highly efficacious adsorbent for the discharge of Hg(ii) from aquatic media.

Sono-assisted photocatalytic degradation of ciprofloxacin in aquatic media using g-C3N4/MOF-based nanocomposite under visible light irradiation

This research study is centered on the sono-assisted photocatalytic degradation of a well-known antibiotic (ciprofloxacin; CIP) in aquatic media using a g-C3N4/NH2-UiO-66 (Zr) catalyst under visible light irradiation. Initially, the catalyst was prepared by a simple method, and its physiochemical features were thoroughly analyzed by XRD, FT-IR, FE-SEM, EDX, EDS-Dot-Mapping, and UV-Vis analytical techniques. After that, the impact of several influential factors affecting the performance of the applied sono-assisted photocatalytic process such as the initial concentration of CIP, solution pH, catalyst dosage, light intensity, and ultrasound power was fully assessed, and the optimal conditions were established. After 75 min of the sono-assisted photocatalytic treatment, the complete degradation of CIP (10 mg/L) was accomplished under the condition as follows: g-C3N4/NH2-UiO-66 (Zr), 0.6 g/L; pH, 5.0, and ultrasound power, light intensity 75 mw/cm2, 200 W/m2. Meanwhile, the photocatalytic degradation of CIP followed the pseudo-first-order kinetic model. In addition, the scavenger experiments demonstrated that OH˚ and O2°- radicals played a key role in the sono-assisted photocatalytic degradation process. It is also acknowledged that the applied catalyst was reused for five consecutive runs with a minor loss observed in its degradation efficiency. In a further experiment, a significant synergistic effect with regard to the degradation of CIP was observed once all three major parameters (visible light, ultrasound waves, and catalyst) were used in combination compared to each used alone. To sum up, it is thought that the integration of g-C3N4/MOF-based catalyst, ultrasound waves, and visible light irradiation could be potentially applied as a promising strategy for the degradation of various pharmaceuticals on account of high degradation performance, simple operation, excellent reusability, and eco-friendly approach.

Correction: Adsorptive removal of Hg2+ from environmental water samples using thioglycerol-intercalated magnetic layered double hydroxides

Correction for 'Adsorptive removal of Hg²⁺ from environmental water samples using thioglycerol-intercalated magnetic layered double hydroxides' by Ali Esrafili et al., Anal. Methods, 2020, 12, 2279-2286, DOI: 10.1039/D0AY00448K.

Adsorptive removal of Hg2+ from environmental water samples using thioglycerol-intercalated magnetic layered double hydroxides

Herein, the removal of Hg²⁺ from environmental water samples was carried out using a novel nanoadsorbent based on magnetite nanoparticles coated by a thioglycerol-intercalated layered double hydroxide. The prepared material was characterized using scanning electron microscopy equipped with an energy dispersive X-ray analyzer and Fourier transform infrared spectrometry. The effective parameters of the removal procedure were identified and optimized through the one-variable-at-a-time method. Under the optimal conditions, the removal characteristics of the synthesized adsorbent including selectivity, distribution coefficient, and loading capacity were calculated in the presence of some interfering ions. The removal efficiency of 94.98% together with the distribution coefficient of 5.00 × 10⁵ mL g^-1 and loading capacity of 480.69 mg g^-1 showed the considerable capability of this novel adsorbent in the selective removal of Hg²⁺ from aqueous samples. To evaluate the performance of the synthesized adsorbent in the removal of Hg²⁺ from environmental water samples, the removal of the desired analyte was carried out using four different real samples. The removal procedures were conducted at the analyte concentration levels of 10.0 and 50.0 mg L^-1 for each aqueous sample. The obtained results showed that the removal efficiency was in the range of 91.99-94.97%, which confirmed the high performance of the synthesized adsorbent in the removal of Hg²⁺ from real samples. Furthermore, the relative standard deviation of as low as 4.18-6.17% showed the acceptable repeatability of this method.

Carrier-mediated extraction: Applications in extraction and microextraction methods

The present review is mainly focused on the overview of carrier mediated extraction (principles and applications) being reported over the last two decades and discusses the extraction process through carriers in various extraction methods such as Bulk liquid membranes, supported liquid membranes, emulsion liquid membranes and polymer inclusion membranes. Several types of carriers such as neutral, anionic, cationic, macrocyclic and supramulecular carriers are discussed. Also their application for metal, anions, drugs and environmental compounds are investigated. Carriers have been demonstrated to be useful for the selective extraction and recovery of numerous cations and anions enhancing the extraction properties of traditional solvent extraction and ion-exchange processes. Several types of carriers have different transport mechanisms. In these mechanisms, transport configurations are addressed and emphasized and the detailed information on the type of carrier are presented along with their specific separation modes. The performance of different carriers in terms of selectivity as well as efficiency are also discussed. Finally, the application of different carriers for the extraction of various compounds are compared and reviewed. To our best knowledge no reviews have been published on carrier-mediated extraction methods.

Simultaneous extraction of 32 polychlorinated biphenyls by using magnetic carbon nanocomposite based dispersive microextraction, subsequent dispersive liquid-liquid microextraction with two miscible stripping solvents, and quantitation by GC-μECD

A highly sensitive new method is described for performing dispersive microextractions. It is making use of a magnetic carbon nanocomposite and two miscible organic solvents. The method was applied to simultaneous extraction of 32 polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) prior to their quantitation by gas chromatography with electron capture detection. The effects of pH value of sample for both micro solid phase extraction and dispersive liquid-liquid microextraction, of the amount of sorbent, extraction time, type and volume of the miscible organic solvents and of salt addition were optimized. Figures of merit obtained under optimized conditions (sample solution: 500 ml, volume of disperser solvent, ACN, 1.5 mL; volume of extraction solvent, TCB, 30 μL; extraction time: 50 min, 20 mg magnetic sorbent, centrifuge, 5 min, 4000 rpm), include (a) preconcentration factors between 10,880 and 34,000; (b) repeatabilities of ≤14.9%, (c) detection limits between 0.01 and 0.2 ng kg-1, and (d) linear dynamic ranges from 0.05 to 100 ng kg - 1. The method was applied to the simultaneous analysis of residues in (spiked) real samples of fish, milk, packing sheet, and tap waters. Some of the analytes were found to be present in fish samples. The method is simple, rapid, and more sensitive than any of the previously reported ones. Graphical abstract Schematic presentation of simultaneous extraction of 32 polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) by using magnetic carbon nanocomposites (MCNs) based dispersive microextraction (M-SPE), subsequent dispersive liquid-liquid microextraction (DLLME) with two miscible stripping solvents, and quantitation by GC-μECD.

Application of a surfactant-assisted dispersive liquid-liquid microextraction method along with central composite design for micro-volume based spectrophotometric determination of low level of Cr(VI) ions in aquatic samples

A fast, simple, low cost surfactant-assisted dispersive liquid-liquid microextraction method along with central composite design for the determination of low level of Cr(VI) ions in several aquatic samples has been developed. Initially, Cr(VI) ions present in the aqueous sample were readily reacted with 1,5‑diphenylcarbazide (DPC) in acidic medium through complexation. Sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS), as an anionic surfactant, was then employed as an ion-pair agent to convert the cationic complex into the neutral one. Following on, the whole aqueous phase underwent a dispersive liquid-liquid microextraction (DLLME) leading to the transfer of the neutral complex into the fine droplet of organic extraction phase. A micro-volume spectrophotometer was used to determine Cr(VI) concentrations. Under the optimized conditions predicted by the statistical design, the limit of quantification (LOQ) obtained was reported to be 5.0 μg/L, and the calibration curve was linear over the concentration range of 5-100 μg/L. Finally, the method was successfully implemented for the determination of low levels of Cr(VI) ions in various real aquatic samples and the accuracies fell within the range of 83-102%, while the precision varied in the span of 1.7-5.2%.

Dispersive liquid–liquid microextraction with back extraction using an immiscible organic solvent for determination of benzodiazepines in water, urine, and plasma samples

A novel DLLME method with a back extraction step using two immiscible organic solvents for obtaining higher clean-up than the conventional DLLME method.

Automated preconcentration and analysis of organic compounds by on-line hollow fiber liquid-phase microextraction-high performance liquid chromatography

The present work describes the first automated instrument, based on on-line hollow fiber liquid-phase microextraction (HF-LPME)-high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), for the preconcentration and determination of organic compounds in various matrices. Using an automated syringe pump for loading the supported liquid membrane and acceptor solvents, a platform lift for moving the sample vial, a sampling loop for on-line injection of the extract to HPLC, along with an electronic board with an AVR microcontroller for storage of data and instrument programs, a sample preparation-HPLC method was developed that allowed sample extraction and extract injection to be carried out completely automatically. Pyridine and pyridine derivatives were chosen for the development and for testing the applicability of the automated instrument. The limits of detection (3 times the S/N) ranged from 0.5 to 1.0 μgL(-1). Effective preconcentration of the analytes was also achieved (preconcentration factors of between 40 and 220). The main advantages of the method developed are minimum sample manipulation, full automation, suitable extraction time, low solvent consumption, and ease of use. The applicability of the on-line automated HF-LPME/HPLC-UV instrument was validated for quantitative extraction and determination of pyridines in cigarette smoke.

Three-phase hollow fiber liquid-phase microextraction based on two immiscible organic solvents for determination of tramadol in urine and plasma samples

Recently, the new concept of three-phase liquid microextraction was introduced based on applying two immiscible organic solvents in lumen and wall pores of hollow fiber. In the present work, this novel microextraction technique combined with gas chromatography-mass spectrometry has been developed for determination of tramadol, an analgesic agent, in plasma and urine samples. A systematic investigation of the proposed method was applied to find optimal extraction conditions and evaluate the interaction effects between the factors by designing experiments according to the methodology of Box-Behnken response surface design. Analysis of variance (ANOVA) revealed that the important factors contributing to extraction efficiency are extraction time, stirring rate and hollow fiber length. Under the optimum conditions, the developed method provided a preconcentration factor of 546, good repeatability (RSD %=6.4), and good linearity (r(2)=0.995) for spiked plasma and urine real samples. The linear dynamic range from 0.1 to 400 μg L(-1) and limit of detection (LOD) of 0.08 μg L(-1) were obtained under selected ion monitoring mode. The results demonstrated that three-phase hollow fiber microextraction based on two immiscible solvents is a simple and accurate technique with very good preconcentration factor and clean-up for extraction of tramadol from biological samples.

A new concept of hollow fiber liquid-liquid-liquid microextraction compatible with gas chromatography based on two immiscible organic solvents

A new concept of liquid-liquid-liquid microextraction (LLLME) was introduced based on applying two immiscible organic solvents in lumen and wall pores of hollow fiber (HF). With this methodology, analytes of interest can be extracted from aqueous sample, into a thin layer of organic solvent (dodecane) sustained in the pores of a porous hollow fiber, and further into a muL volume of organic acceptor (acetonitrile or methanol) located inside the lumen of the hollow fiber. Some chlorophenols (CPs) were selected as model compounds for developing and evaluating of the method performance. The analysis was performed by gas chromatography-electron capture detection (GC-ECD) without derivatization. The factors affecting the HF-LLLME of target compounds were investigated and the optimal extraction conditions were established. Under the optimum conditions, preconcentration factors in a range of 208-895 were obtained. The performance of the proposed method was studied in terms of linear dynamic ranges (LDRs from 0.02 to 100ngmL(-1)), linearity (R(2)> or =0.995), precision (RSD %< or =8.1) and limits of detection (LODs in the range of 0.006-0.2ngmL(-1)). In addition to preconcentration, HF-LLLME also served as a technique for sample clean-up.