Interaction of O<Subscript>2</Subscript>, O<Subscript>3</Subscript>, and H<Subscript>2</Subscript>O<Subscript>2</Subscript> with an activated carbon

The results of the modification of AG-OV-1 activated carbon under various conditions (by atmospheric oxygen at elevated temperatures and by hydrogen peroxide or ozone) are given. The effect of the used modifier on changes in the porosity, surface state, and adsorption capacity of activated carbon is evaluated.     

Electrochemical determination of Pb<Superscript>2+</Superscript> using a carbon nanotube/Nafion composite film-modified electrode

A carbon nanotube/Nafion composite film modified electrode is described for the sensitive and convenient determination of Pb²⁺. In the presence of 1% Nafion, multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWNT) were successfully dispersed into ethanol by ultrasonication. After evaporating the ethanol, a MWNT/Nafion composite film-modified electrode was achieved. The resulting MWNT/Nafion film modified electrode possesses high cation exchange capacity, large surface area, strong adsorption ability and catalytic activity. Compared with the unmodified electrode and Nafion film-modified electrode, the MWNT/Nafion film-modified electrode remarkably increases the stripping peak current of Pb²⁺. Furthermore, the influences of supporting electrolyte, volume of MWNT/Nafion suspension, accumulation potential and accumulation time were investigated. The striping peak current of Pb²⁺ is proportional to its concentration over the range 8.0 × 10⁻⁸ to 6.0 × 10⁻⁶ mol L⁻¹. The limit of detection (S/N = 3) is as low as 5.0 × 10⁻⁹ mol L⁻¹. Finally, this newly developed method was used to determine Pb²⁺ in water samples.     

Preparation and electrochemistry of cadmium pentacyanonitrosylferrate film modified glassy carbon electrode

A glassy carbon (GC) electrode surface was modified with a cadmium pentacyanonitrosylferrate (CdPCNF) film as a novel electrode material. The modification procedure of the GC surface includes two consecutive procedures: (i) the electrodeposition of metallic cadmium on the GC electrode surface from a CdCl₂ solution and (ii) the chemical transformation of the deposited cadmium to the CdPCNF films in 0.05 M Na₂[Fe(CN)₅NO] + 0.5 M KNO₃ solution. The modified GC electrode showed a well-defined redox couple due to [Cd^IIFe^III/II(CN)₅NO]^0/−1 system. The effects of supporting electrolytes and solution pH were studied on the electrochemical behavior of the modified electrode. The diffusion coefficients of alkali-metal cations in the film (D), the transfer coefficient (α) and the charge transfer rate constant at the modifying film | electrode interface (k_s), were calculated in the presence of various alkali-metal cations. The stability of the modified electrode was investigated under various experimental conditions.     

Electrochemical determination of phloroglucinol using a carbon nanotube modified electrode enhanced by surfactant

A novel technique is utilized to detect trace amounts of phloroglucinol. In pH 5.0, 0.1 mol L⁻¹ HAc–NaAc buffer solution, phloroglucinol exhibited a stable and sensitive oxidation signal at a glassy carbon electrode modified with multi-wall carbon nanotube. By using the surfactant cetyl pyridinium chloride, the electrochemical response was greatly enhanced. The mechanism was systematically explored. In the range 9.0 × 10⁻⁷–3.0 × 10⁻⁴ mol L⁻¹, the oxidation peak currents of phloroglucinol have a linear relationship with concentration: the limit of detection was estimated to be 2.5 × 10⁻⁷ mol L⁻¹ (S/N = 3). The method was adopted to detect the content of phloroglucinol injection, and the recovery was from 97.5% to 103.0%.     

Rhodium stabilized Prussian Blue-modified graphite electrodes for H<Subscript>2</Subscript>O<Subscript>2</Subscript> amperometric detection

Graphite electrodes chemically modified with Prussian Blue (G/PB) were obtained by spreading, on the electrode surface, appropriate volumes of 100 mM K₃[Fe(CN)₆] and 100 mM FeCl₃ solutions, both containing 10 mM HCl. In order to improve the electrochemical response stability, the potential of G/PB electrodes was cycled (in the domain where PB exhibits electrochemical activity) in 0.1 M KCl solution (G/PB-K), as well as in 2 mM RhCl₃ solution, containing 0.05 M KCl (G/PB-Rh). Compared with G/PB-K, the G/PB-Rh modified electrodes showed: (i) higher relative stability of the PB electrochemical response; (ii) better analytical parameters for H₂O₂ amperometric detection; (iii) slightly lower rate constant corresponding to the second order electrocatalytic reaction for H₂O₂ amperometric detection; (iv) an electrocatalytic activity not affected by the H₂O₂ concentration.     

Degradation kinetics of recalcitrant organic compounds in a decontamination process with UV/H<Subscript>2</Subscript>O<Subscript>2</Subscript> and UV/H<Subscript>2</Subscript>O<Subscript>2</Subscript>/TiO<Subscript>2</Subscript> processes

In this study, degradation aspects and kinetics of organics in a decontamination process were considered in the degradation experiments of advanced oxidation processes (AOP),i.e., UV, UV/H₂O, and UV/H₂O,/TiO₂ systems. In the oxalic acid degradation with different H₂O₂ concentrations, it was found that oxalic acid was degraded with the first order reaction and the highest degradation rate was observed at 0.1 M of hydrogen peroxide. Degradation rate of oxalic acid was much higher than that of citric acid, irrespective of degradation methods, assuming that degradation aspects are related to chemical structures. Of methods, the TiO₂ mediated photocatalysis showed the highest rate constant for oxalic acid and citric acid degradation. It was clearly showed that advanced oxidation processes were effective means to degrade recalcitrant organic compounds existing in a decontamination process.     

Surfactant modified zeolite carbon paste electrode (SMZ-CPE) as a nitrate selective electrode

A nitrate-selective electrode based on surfactant-modified zeolite (SMZ) particles into carbon paste was proposed (SMZ-CPE). The electrode was fully characterized in terms of composition, response time, ionic strength, thermal stability and usable pH range. The electrode containing 10% SMZ exhibited linear response range to nitrate species in the range of 1.00 × 10⁻⁶ to 1.00 × 10⁻³ M with a detection limit of 1.00 × 10⁻⁶ M and a Nernstian slope of 59.4 ± 0.7 mV per decade of nitrate concentration. The response of the electrode to nitrate remains constant in the pH ranges of 3.5–9.8 and 1.7–10.5 for 1.00 × 10⁻⁴ and 1.00 × 10⁻² M nitrate, respectively, and in presence of 1 × 10⁻⁴ to 1 × 10⁻³ M NaCl. The response of the electrode reaches to its equilibrium value within several seconds (10 s) after immersing the electrode in nitrate solution. Selectivity coefficients showed multivalent anions (such as arsenate, dichromate and sulfate) have higher interferences than monovalent anions (such as iodide, fluoride, bromide, chloride and thiocyanate). The electrode was used for determination of nitrate in an ammonium nitrate fertilizer sample, using direct potentiometry, and the satisfactory results were obtained. The electrode was also used for the potentiometric titration of nitrate. The validation of the obtained results in each case was proved by statistical “t” and “g” tests.     

Effect of H<Subscript>2</Subscript>O<Subscript>2</Subscript> modification of H<Subscript>3</Subscript>PW<Subscript>12</Subscript>O<Subscript>40</Subscript>@carbon for m-xylene oxidation to isophthalic acid

The production of isophthalic acid (IPA) from the oxidation of m-xylene (MX) by air is catalyzed by H₃PW₁₂O₄₀ (HPW) loaded on carbon and cobalt. We used H₂O₂ solution to oxidize the carbon to improve the catalytic activity of HPW@C catalyst. Experiments reveal that the best carbon sample is obtained by calcining the carbon at 700 °C for 4 h after being impregnated in the 3.75% H₂O₂ solution at 40 °C for 7 h. The surface characterization displays that the H₂O₂ modification leads to an increase in the acidic groups and a reduction in the basic groups on the carbon surface. The catalytic capability of the HPW@C catalyst depends on its surface chemical characteristics and physical property. The acidic groups play a more important part than the physical property. The MX conversion after 180 min reaction acquired by the HPW@C catalysts prepared from the activated carbon modified in the best condition is 3.81% over that obtained by the HPW@C catalysts prepared from the original carbon. The IPA produced by the former is 46.2% over that produced by the latter.     

The Oxidative Polycondensation of Benzylidene-4′-hydroxyanilene using Air O<Subscript>2</Subscript>, NaOCl and H<Subscript>2</Subscript>O<Subscript>2</Subscript>: Synthesis and Characterization

In this work, the oxidative polycondensation reaction conditions of benzylidene-4′-hydroxyanilene (B-4′-HA) were studied using oxidants such as air O₂, H₂O₂ and NaOCl in an aqueous alkaline medium between 40 and 95 ^○C. Oligo-benzylidene-4′-hydroxyanilene was characterized by ¹H-NMR, FT-IR, UV-Vis, size exclusion chromatography (SEC) and elemental analysis techniques. The solubility of oligomer using organic solvents such as DMF, THF, DMSO, methanol, ethanol, CHCl₃, CCl₄, toluene, acetonitrile, ethyl acetate was investigated. According to air O₂ oxidant (flow rate 8.5 L/h), the conversion of B-4′-HA was 82.0% in optimum conditions such as [B-4′-HA]₀=[KOH]₀=0.1015 mol/L at 50 ^○C for 25 h. According to the SEC analysis, the number-average molecular weight (M_n), weight-average molecular weight (M_w) and polydispersity index (PDI) values of O-B-4′-HA were found to be 1852 g mol⁻¹, 3101 g mol⁻¹ and 1.675; 2123 g mol⁻¹, 4073 g mol⁻¹ and 1.919; 2155 g mol⁻¹, 4164 g mol⁻¹ and 1.932, using air oxygen, NaOCl and H₂O₂ oxidants, respectively. Also, Thermo gravimetric analysis (TGA) showed oligo-benzylidene-4′-hydroxyanilene to be unstable against thermo-oxidative decomposition. The weight loss of O-B-4′-HA was found to be 95.87% at 1000 ^○C.     

Europium(II) in glasses of the Al<Subscript>2</Subscript>O<Subscript>3</Subscript>-SiO<Subscript>2</Subscript>-MnO-Eu<Subscript>2</Subscript>O<Subscript>3</Subscript> system

Triply and doubly charged states of europium are revealed by ¹⁵¹Eu Mössbauer spectroscopy in the structure of glasses of the composition (mol %) 19.5Al₂O₃, 31.5SiO₂, 26.5MnO, and 22.5Eu₂O₃. The isomer shifts in the Mössbauer spectra of Eu³⁺ and Eu²⁺ ions in the structure of glasses differ from the isomer shifts in the spectra of the Eu₂O₃ and EuO compounds. This difference is explained by the fact that the electron density at ¹⁵¹Eu nuclei is affected by the manganese and aluminum atoms, which are not bound directly to the europium atoms. The broadening of the spectra of the Eu²⁺ ions in glasses is caused by the nonuniform isomer shift.     

Structure of an atmospheric-pressure H<Subscript>2</Subscript>/O<Subscript>2</Subscript>/N<Subscript>2</Subscript> flame doped with iron pentacarbonyl

This paper presents the measurement and simulation data on the thermal and chemical structure of an atmospheric-pressure premixed H₂/O₂/N₂ flame doped with iron pentacarbonyl Fe(CO)₅. Soft ionization molecular beam mass spectrometry was used to measure concentration profiles of the combustion products of iron pentacarbonyl: Fe, FeO₂, FeOH, and Fe(OH)₂. A comparison of experimental and simulated concentration profiles showed that they are in satisfactory agreement for FeO₂ and Fe(OH)₂ and differ significantly for Fe and FeOH. Thus, the previously proposed kinetic model for the oxidation of iron pentacarbonyl was tested and it was shown that the mechanism needs further elaboration.     

CO oxidation from syngas (CO and H<Subscript>2</Subscript>) using nanoporous Pt/Al<Subscript>2</Subscript>O<Subscript>3</Subscript> catalyst

The concept of “waste-to-wealth” is spreading awareness to prevent global warming and recycle the restrictive resources. To contribute towards sustainable development, hydrogen energy is obtained from syngas (CO and H₂) generated from waste gasification, followed by CO oxidation and CO₂ removal. In H₂ generation, it is key to produce more purified H₂ from syngas using heterogeneous catalysts. In this respect, we prepared Pt/Al₂O₃ catalyst with nanoporous structure using precipitation method, and compared its catalytic activity with commercial alumina (Degussa). Based on the results of XRD and TEM, it was found that metal particles did not aggregate on the alumina surface and showed high dispersion. Optimum condition for CO conversion was 1.5 wt% Pt loaded on Al₂O₃ support, and pure hydrogen was obtained after removal of CO₂ gas.     

Novel electrode for electrochemical stripping analysis based on carbon paste modified with bismuth powder

Bismuth-powder modified carbon paste electrode (Bi-CPE) is presented as an attractive “mercury-free” sensor applicable in electrochemical striping analysis of selected heavy metals. The electrode paste was prepared as a mixture of finely powdered metallic bismuth together with graphite powder and silicon oil. The Bi-CPE was characterized in nondeaerated solutions containing Cd(II) and Pb(II) at the μg/L level in conjunction with square-wave anodic stripping voltammetry. The electrode exhibited well-defined and separated stripping signals for both metals accompanied with a low background contribution, and a reproducibility of 5.6 and 6.0% (n = 12) for 20 μg/L Cd(II) and Pb(II), respectively. The Bi-CPE exhibited superior performance in comparison to the bare carbon paste electrode (CPE) and the bismuth paste electrode (BiPE) and surprisingly, yielded a higher response than the in situ prepared bismuth-film carbon paste electrode. The electrode displayed excellent linear behavior in the examined concentration range from 10 to 100 μg/L Cd(II) + Pb(II) (R² = 0.998 for both), with limits of detection of 1.2 μg/L for Cd(II) and 0.9 μg/L for Pb(II). The electroanalytical performance of Bi-CPE was successfully tested in a real sample of tap water spiked with Cd(II) and Pb(II).     

A 2<Superscript>7-3</Superscript> fractional factorial optimization of polybenzimidazole based membrane electrode assemblies for H<Subscript>2</Subscript>/O<Subscript>2</Subscript> fuel cells

We describe the usefulness of a statistical fractional factorial design to obtain consistent and reproducible behavior of a membrane-electrode-assembly (MEA) based on a phosphoric acid (PA) doped polybenzimidazole (PBI) membrane, which allows a H₂/O₂ fuel cell to operate above 150 °C. Different parameters involved during the MEA fabrication including the catalyst loading, amount of binder, processing conditions like temperature and compaction load and also the amount of carbon in the gas diffusion layers (GDL) have been systematically varied according to a 2^7-3 fractional factorial design and the data thus obtained have been analyzed using Yates’s algorithm. The mean effects estimated in this way suggest the crucial role played by carbon loading in the gas diffusion layer, hot compaction temperature and the binder to catalyst ratio in the catalyst layer for enabling continuous performance. These statistically designed electrodes provide a maximum current density and power density of 1,800 mA cm⁻² and 280 mW cm⁻², respectively, at 160 °C using hydrogen and oxygen under ambient pressure.     

Phase cooperation of V<Subscript>2</Subscript>O<Subscript>5</Subscript> and Bi<Subscript>2</Subscript>O<Subscript>3</Subscript> in the selective oxidation of H<Subscript>2</Subscript>S containing ammonia and water

The selective oxidation of hydrogen sulfide containing excess water and ammonia was studied over vanadium oxide-based catalysts. The investigation was focused on the role of V₂O₅, and phase cooperation between V₂O₅ and Bi₂O₃ in this reaction. The conversion of H₂S continued to decrease since V₂O₅ was gradually reduced by treatment with H₂S. The activity of V₂O₅ was recovered by contact with oxygen. A strong synergistic phenomenon in catalytic activity was observed for the mechanically mixed catalysts of V₂O₅ and Bi₂O₃. Temperature-programmed reduction (TPR) and oxidation (TPO) and two bed reaction tests were performed to explain this synergistic effect by the reoxidation ability of Bi₂O₃. This paper is dedicated to Professor Wha Young Lee on the occasion of his retirement from Seoul National University.     

Visible light-irradiated degradation of alachlor on Fe-TiO<Subscript>2</Subscript> with assistance of H<Subscript>2</Subscript>O<Subscript>2</Subscript>

0.1 Fe/Ti mole ratio of Fe-TiO₂ catalysts were synthesized via solvothermal method and calcined at various temperatures: 300, 400, and 500 °C. The calcined catalysts were characterized by XRD, N₂-adsorption-desorption, UV-DRS, XRF, and Zeta potential and tested for photocatalytic degradation of alachlor under visible light. The calcined catalysts consisted only of anatase phase. The BET specific surface area decreased with the calcination temperatures. The doping Fe ion induced a red shift of absorption capacity from UV to the visible region. The Fe-TiO₂ calcined at 400 °C showed the highest photocatalytic activity on degradation of alachlor with assistance of 30 mM H₂O₂ at pH 3 under visible light irradiation. The degradation fitted well with Langmuir-Hinshelwood model that gave adsorption coefficient and the reaction rate constant of 0.683 L mg⁻¹ and 0.136 mg/L·min, respectively.     

Electrocatalytic oxidation of hydrazine at a Co(II) complex multi-wall carbon nanotube modified carbon paste electrode

The catalytic oxidation of hydrazine was investigated by a cobalt(II) bis (benzoylacetone) ethylenediimino multi wall carbon nanotube-modified carbon paste electrode (Co(II)BBAEDI-MWCNT-MCPE) as a highly sensitive electrochemical sensor. The effect of variables such as pH and modifier percent on cyclic voltammograms peak current was optimized. The modified electrode showed very efficient electrocatalytic activity for anodic oxidation of hydrazine in 0.1 M phosphate buffer solution (pH 7.0). Anodic peak potential of hydrazine oxidation at the surface of modified electrode shifts by about 500 mV toward negative values compared with that on the bare electrode. The diffusion coefficient and electron transfer coefficient of hydrazine were obtained using electrochemical approaches. The Co(II)BBAEDI-MWCNT-MCPE showed good reproducibility (RSD < 3.3%). The electrocatalytic current increased linearly with the hydrazine concentration in the range of 0.3–70.0 μM and detection limit was 0.1 μM. The effect of various interferences on the hydrazine peak current was studied. This method was applied to determine hydrazine in water samples.     

Enhancement of NO absorption in ammonium-based solution using heterogeneous Fenton reaction at low H<Subscript>2</Subscript>O<Subscript>2</Subscript> consumption

A novel NO removal system is designed, where NO is initially oxidized by ?OH radicals from the decomposition of hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂) over hematite and then absorbed by ammonium-based solution. According to the high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) profile and the isopropanol injection experiments, the ?OH radicals are proved to play a critical role in NO removal. The NO removal efficiency primarily depends on H₂O₂ concentration, gas hourly space velocity (GHSV), H₂O₂ feeding rate and reaction temperature, while the flue gas temperature slightly affects the NO removal efficiency. The low H₂O₂ consumption makes this system a promising technique in NO removal process using wet-method. The evolution of catalyst in reaction is analyzed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy dispersive X-ray spectrometry (EDS), Fourier Transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and X-ray diffraction (XRD). The nitrite ion and nitrate ion in aqueous solution are detected by the continuous phase flow analyzer. Finally, the macrokinetic parameters of the NO oxidation are obtained by using the initial rate method.     

Preparation,Characterization and H<Subscript>2</Subscript>O<Subscript>2</Subscript> Selectivity of Hyperbranched Polyimides Containing Triazine

Novel polyimides based on aromatic dianhyride and various hexahydrotriazine monomers were synthesized via two-stage solution polycondensation method. The resulting polyimides were characterized by solubility, viscosity, density, spectroscopic and thermal analysis methods. The results showed that polyimides soluble in polar solvents and had inherent viscosities ranging from 1.92 to 2.32 dL/g. The glass transition temperatures were 315 and 344 ^○C, and the 10% weight loss temperatures were above 604 and 628 ^○C. Then, polyimide-modified electrodes were prepared for the selective determination of hydrogen peroxide. The electrochemical behavior of the resulting polyimide film electrodes to the electroactive and non-electroactive species such as ascorbic acid, oxalic acid, hydrogen peroxide, lactose, sucrose and urea was examined by CV, DPV and TB techniques. From the obtained findings, it was shown that polyimide-coated electrode (PI-2) was only permitted to hydrogen peroxide among the species examined. As a result, it is claimed that polyimide electrode could be used as a selective membrane for hydrogen peroxide.