Degradation of bisphenol A in aqueous solution by H2O2-assisted photoelectrocatalytic oxidation

A series of titanium dioxide (TiO(2)/Ti) film electrodes were prepared from titanium (Ti) metal mesh by an improved anodic oxidation process and were further modified by photochemically depositing gold (Au) on the TiO(2) film surface as Au-TiO(2)/Ti film electrodes. The morphological characteristics, crystal structure and photoelectroreactivity of both the TiO(2)/Ti and Au-TiO(2)/Ti electrodes were studied. The experiments confirmed that the gold modification of TiO(2) film could enhance the efficiency of e(-)/h(+) separation on the TiO(2) conduction band and resulted in the higher photocatalytic (PC) and photoelectrocatalytic (PEC) activity under UV or visible illumination. To further enhance the TiO(2) PEC reaction, a reticulated vitreous carbon (RVC) electrode was applied in the same reaction system as the cathode to electrically generate H(2)O(2) in the aqueous solution. The experiments demonstrated that such a H(2)O(2)-assisted TiO(2) PEC reaction system could achieve a much better performance of BPA degradation in aqueous solution due to an interactive effect among TiO(2), Au, and H(2)O(2). It may have good potential for application in water and wastewater treatment in the future.     

Role of late transition metals on pitting resistance of Zr-Ti-(Cu,Ni,Co)-Al bulk metallic glasses in 0.6 M NaCl aqueous solution

Four quanternary Zr-based bulk metallic glasses(BMGs)were selected,including the Zr_(46)Ti_2Cu_(45)Al_7,Zr_(61)Ti_2Cu_(25)Al_(12),Zr_(55)Ti_4Ni_(22)Al_(19)and Zr_(55)Ti_2Co_(28)Al_(15),due to their robust glass-forming ability and containing a single species of late transition metal(LTM)in compositions.Their pitting resistances in 0.6 M Na Cl aqueous solution were investigated to examine the role of LTM elements in the alloys,with electrochemical measurements,surface morphology observation and x-ray photoelectron spectrometry analysis.It is shown that in comparision with two Cu-bearing BMGs,Zr_(55)Ti_4Ni_(22)Al_(19)and Zr_(55)Ti_2Co_(28)Al_(15)BMGs exhibited significantly superior resistance to pitting.Zr_(61)Ti_2Cu_(25)Al_(12),Zr_(55)Ti_4Ni_(22)Al_(19)and Zr_(55)Ti_2Co_(28)Al_(15)BMGs manifested distinct passivation behaviour,because of the formation of surface passive film mainly comprising of Zr O_2,Ti O_2and Al_2O_3.However,no significant differences in the electrochemical resistive properties and thicknesses of passive films were found between Zr_(61)Ti_2Cu_(25)Al_(12)and Zr_(55)Ti_4Ni_(22)Al_(19)BMGs.Nevertheless,at the passive film/metal interface,copper enrichment took place in Zr_(61)Ti_2Cu_(25)Al_(12),whereas the nickel was slightly deficient at the interface in Zr_(55)Ti_4Ni_(22)Al_(19).During pitting propagation,selective dissolution of the zirconium,titanium and aluminum over the copper took place in Zr_(61)Ti_2Cu_(25)Al_(12),but it was not the case in Zr_(55)Ti_4Ni_(22)Al_(19).For the two Cu-bearing BMGs,reduction of passive base metal elements in composition resulted in local selective dissolution,even absence of the passivation.     

Determination of the oxidizing ability of HTSC materials containing two elements with a variable degree of oxidation

The presence of mixed valence states of elements is supposed to be a common characteristic feature of the high-T _c superconductors, based on copper oxides. Methods have been suggested for the determination of Cu(III) in the Y-Ba-Cu-O ceramics and separate determination of two oxidants: Bi(V) and Cu(III), Tl(III) and Cu(III) in the corresponding materials. Compounds of Bi(V) oxidize in the ions of Mn(II) to MnO ₄ ⁻ in the acidic medium. Active oxygen, bound to Cu(III) is isolated, not oxidizing Mn(II). MnO ₄ ⁻ is titrated then with a solution of Fe(II) sulphate. For the determination of Tl(III) the sample is dissolved in the acid, Cu(III) is reduced to Cu(II) and Tl(III) is titrated with the hydroquinone solution. The compounds of Bi(V), Tl(III) and Cu(III), having high oxidation-reduction potentials can oxidize the complex Co(II)-EDTA to Co(III)-EDTA. The colour intensity of the latter is proportional to the content of Cu(III) or to the sum of Bi(V) and Cu(III) or Tl(III) and Cu(III). The content of Cu(III) in Bi- and Tl-containing materials is determined by the difference.     

Anion effects on the electrochemical regeneration of Ce(IV) in nitric acid used for etching chromium

The anion impurities such as SO4(2-), Cl(-), and Cr2O7(2-) commonly present in the spent (hazardous) Cr-etch solutions from color filter manufacturing processes may influence the solutions' regeneration by the electrooxidation of Ce(III) to Ce(IV). This study, therefore, investigated the effects of these anions on Ce(III)/Ce(IV) redox reactions at glassy carbon in HNO3. In cyclic voltammetric tests, the presence of SO4(2-) decreased the formal potential but increased the peak potential separation (Delta Ep) of Ce(III)/Ce(IV) couple, and lowered the peak current for Ce(IV) reduction whereas Cl(-) did not change the formal potential and Delta Ep, but the peaks for Cl(-) and Ce(III) oxidation partially overlapped. Cr2O7(2-) slightly lowered the peak current for Ce(III) oxidation but significantly decreased that for Ce(IV) reduction. The Tafel slope for Ce(III) oxidation was approximately 65mVdecade(-1) in the absence of anion impurities. Increasing SO4(2-), Cl(-), or Cr2O7(2-) in solution raised the Tafel slope. The Ce(III)/Ce(IV) equilibrium potential decreased with the increase of SO4(2-) or Cl(-) but was hardly influenced by Cr2O7(2-) addition. These observations from individual anion species together well explained the anions' co-effect (kinetic hindrance) on the Ce(III) oxidation in HNO3, revealing that these anions are unfavorable for the electrooxidation of Ce(III) in the spent Cr-etch solutions.     

(PANI)98-(PEG)136-(PANI)98三嵌段共聚物的自组装

采用化学氧化法合成了(PANI)98-(PEG)136-(PANI)98三嵌段共聚物,使用激光光散射研究了它在选择性溶剂中的聚集行为, 并用扫描电镜观察了嵌段共聚物在选择性溶剂中的自组装行为.结果表明在DMF溶剂中,732个(PANI)98-(PEG)136-(PANI)98三嵌段共聚物形成了结构稳定的球形胶束.在不同的选择性溶剂中, (PANI)98-(PEG)136-(PANI)98三嵌段共聚物能形成球形、棒状、囊泡、花瓣状等不同的自组装结构.     

Transmitted-light microscopy - a new method for surface structure analysis of cleanable non-woven dust filter media

A series of CeO(2)-ZrO(2) mixed oxides were prepared using coprecipitation method and characterized by BET, oxygen storage capacity (OSC), X-ray diffraction (XRD) and H(2)-temperature-programmed reduction (H(2)-TPR). The catalytic activities toward toluene combustion were investigated in a micro-reactor. The results demonstrate that the catalytic activity of Pt/gamma-Al(2)O(3)/Ce(0.50)Zr(0.50)O(2) monolithic catalyst can be greatly improved by doping metal into Ce(0.50)Zr(0.50)O(2). When doping Y and Mn into Ce(0.50)Zr(0.50)O(2) simultaneously, the catalyst Pt/gamma-Al(2)O(3)/Ce(0.40)Zr(0.40)Y(0.10)Mn(0.10)O(X) shows the highest activity. The T(10) (the temperature of 10% toluene conversion) and the complete conversion temperature (the temperature of 90% toluene conversion) of toluene are 443 and 489K, respectively. Gas hourly space velocity (GHSV) results show that the prepared catalyst can be applied in a wide range of GHSV (from 12,000 to 20,000h(-1)). The catalyst prepared shows great potential for practical application.     

Kinetics of Fe(3)O(4)-CoO/Al(2)O(3) catalytic ozonation of the herbicide 2-(2,4-dichlorophenoxy) propionic acid

The presence of Fe(3)O(4)-CoO/Al(2)O(3) can improve degradation efficiency significantly during the ozonation of the herbicide 2-(2,4-dichlorophenoxy) propionic acid (2,4-DP). The main factors affecting degradation efficiency, such as pH, the catalyst concentration and addition of the scavenger, were investigated. The kinetics of the catalytic ozonation are also discussed. The results indicate that two factors, the oxidation after adsorption of 2,4-DP and the oxidation of hydroxyl radicals (OH), lead to a great enhancement in ozonation efficiency during the catalytic ozonation of 2,4-DP in the presence of Fe(3)O(4)-CoO/Al(2)O(3), in which the oxidation of the OH plays an important role. Under controlled conditions, the apparent reaction rate constants for the degradation of 2,4-DP were determined to be 2.567 × 10(-4)s(-1) for O(3) and 1.840 × 10(-3)s(-1) for O(3)/Fe(3)O(4)-CoO/Al(2)O(3). The results from the analysis of the reaction kinetics using the relative method showed that O(3)/Fe(3)O(4)-CoO/Al(2)O(3) possessed a larger R(ct) (R(ct) is defined as the ratio of the ·OH exposure to the O(3) exposure, R(ct) = ∫C(t)(OH) dt/C(t)O(3)dt) than O(3), indicating that O(3)/Fe(3)O(4)-CoO/Al(2)O(3) produced more hydroxyl radicals.     

La0.67Mg0.33Ni3.0-xAlx(x=0～0.3)贮氢合金的相结构及电化学性能的研究

研究了Al元素对合金La0．67Mg0．33Ni3．0中Ni的替代对舍金的微观组织结构及电化学性能的影响。X射线衍射(XRD)分析结果表明La0．67Mg0．33Ni3．0合金由PuNi3型(La，Mg)Ni3相和Ce2Ni2型(La，Mg)2Ni7相组成，Al元素加入后，开始出现CaCu5型LaNi5相，随着Al含量的增加，LaNi5相逐渐增多，当x=0．3时，LaNi5相成为合金的主相，合金La0．67Mg0．33Ni3．0中Al的X荧光元素面分布图像表明了Al元素主要进入LaNi5相中，说明Al是一种LaNi5相形成元素；电化学测试表明，随着Al含量的增加，合金的最大放电容量依次下降，4种合金的最大放电量分别为392、324、267和252mAh／g，活化次数变化不大(2～3次即可活化)，循环稳定性先增加后下降。     

Modelling Cr(VI) removal by a combined carbon-activated sludge system

The combined carbon-activated sludge process has been proposed as an alternative to protect the biomass against toxic substances in wastewaters; however, the information about the effect of powdered-activated carbon (PAC) addition in activated sludge reactors for the treatment of wastewaters containing Cr(VI) is limited. The objectives of the present study were: (a) to evaluate the removal of hexavalent chromium by (i) activated sludge microorganisms in aerobic batch reactors, (ii) powdered-activated carbon, and (iii) the combined action of powdered-activated carbon and biomass; (b) to propose mathematical models that interpret the experimental results. Different Cr(VI) removal systems were tested: (S1) biomass (activated sludge), (S2) PAC, and (S3) the combined activated carbon-biomass system. A Monod-based mathematical model was used to describe the kinetics of Cr(VI) removal in the system S1. A first-order kinetics with respect to Cr(VI) and PAC respectively, was proposed to model the removal of Cr(VI) in the system S2. Cr(VI) removal in the combined carbon-biomass system (S3) was faster than both Cr(VI) removal using PAC or activated sludge individually. Results showed that the removal of Cr(VI) using the activated carbon-biomass system (S3) was adequately described by combining the kinetic equations proposed for the systems S1 and S2.     

Carbon isotopes profiles of human whole blood, plasma, red blood cells, urine and feces for biological/biomedical 14C-accelerator mass spectrometry applications

Radiocarbon ((14)C) is an ideal tracer for in vivo human ADME (absorption, distribution, metabolism, elimination) and PBPK (physiological-based pharmacokinetic) studies. Living plants peferentially incorporate atmospheric (14)CO(2) versus (13)CO(2) versus (12)CO(2), which result in unique signature. Furthermore, plants and the food chains they support also have unique carbon isotope signatures. Humans, at the top of the food chain, consequently acquire isotopic concentrations in the tissues and body fluids depending on their dietary habits. In preparation of ADME and PBPK studies, 12 healthy subjects were recruited. The human baseline (specific to each individual and their diet) total carbon (TC) and carbon isotope (13)C (δ(13)C) and (14)C (F(m)) were quantified in whole blood (WB), plasma, washed red blood cell (RBC), urine, and feces. TC (mg of C/100 μL) in WB, plasma, RBC, urine, and feces were 11.0, 4.37, 7.57, 0.53, and 1.90, respectively. TC in WB, RBC, and feces was higher in men over women, P < 0.05. Mean δ(13)C were ranked low to high as follows: feces < WB = plasma = RBC = urine, P < 0.0001. δ(13)C was not affected by gender. Our analytic method shifted δ(13)C by only ±1.0 ‰ ensuring our F(m) measurements were accurate and precise. Mean F(m) were ranked low to high as follows: plasma = urine < WB = RBC = feces, P < 0.05. F(m) in feces was higher for men over women, P < 0.05. Only in WB, (14)C levels (F(m)) and TC were correlated with one another (r = 0.746, P < 0.01). Considering the lag time to incorporate atmospheric (14)C into plant foods (vegetarian) and or then into animal foods (nonvegetarian), the measured F(m) of WB in our population (recruited April 2009) was 1.0468 ± 0.0022 (mean ± SD), and the F(m) of WB matched the (extrapolated) atmospheric F(m) of 1.0477 in 2008. This study is important in presenting a procedure to determine a baseline for a study group for human ADME and PBPK studies using (14)C as a tracer.     

Effects of ethylene on NO conversion and product distributions in an rf discharge reactor

In the previous study, high concentration of NO in N(2)/O(2) mixtures could be converted mainly into N(2) via a radio-frequency discharge approach at a low pressure (4 kPa). To enhance the efficiency of NO removal, C(2)H(4) was added to elevate significantly the NO conversion in this study. The results showed that at inlet C(2)H(4)/NO molar ratio of 1 and 120 W in the C(2)H(4)/NO (1%)/O(2) (6%)/N(2) mixtures, the NO conversion reached 93.7% with a C(2)H(4) conversion of 100%, to much higher than without C(2)H(4) condition (NO conversion=77.6%). Moreover, as high as 99.8% of the fraction of total N atoms converted from NO into N(2) was achieved. In addition, the relationship between the major active species observed in the optical emission spectra at different inlet C(2)H(4) concentration and the important reactions for NO removal and N(2) formation were discussed.     

Tributyl phosphate as a sensitivity-enhancing solvent for organotin in carbon furnace atomic absorption spectrometry

Tributyl phosphate (TBP) has been found to be a sensitivity-enhancing solvent for organotin compounds in graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrometry; (C(4)H(9))(2)Sn(O(2)CCH(3))(2), (C(4)H(9))(2)Sn(O(2)CC(11)H(23))(2), (C(4)H(9))(3)SnCl, and (C(4)H(9))(4)Sn all give 1 order of magnitude higher sensitivities in TBP than in toluene or ethyl acetate. The sensitivities are enhanced further 1-2 orders of magnitude in TBP, when PdCl(2)(CH(3)CN)(2) is added as a matrix modifier in the organic solvent. Among the four organotin compounds, (C(4)H(9))(2)Sn(O(2)CCH(3))(2) and (C(4)H(9))(2)Sn(O(2)CC(11)H(23))(2) give better sensitivities than (C(4)H(9))(3)SnCl and (C(4)H(9))(4)Sn in the absence of palladium in any organic solvent, which suggests that the oxygen atom in the tin compound might form tin oxides that are resistant to volatilization loss during ashing. Scanning electron microscopic, electrothermal vaporization ICPMS, and powder X-ray diffraction studies show that the final products before atomization include phosphorus-containing compounds Sn(2)P(2)O(7), SnP(2)O(7), and Pd(9)P(2), besides tin-palladium alloys, PdSn, Pd(3)Sn, Pd(2)Sn, Pd(3)Sn(2), and PdSn(3). These phosphorus-containing compounds would more efficiently stabilize tin and suppress tin vaporization loss during ashing, to give higher sensitivity.     

Microwave assisted facile synthesis of {1/1,3-bis/1,3,5-tris-[(2-nitroxyethylnitramino)-2,4,6-trinitrobenzene]} using bismuth nitrate pentahydrate as an eco-friendly nitrating agent

1-(2-Nitroxyethylnitramino)-2,4,6-trinitrobenzene (3a), 1,3-bis(2-nitroxyethyl nitramino)-2,4,6-trinitrobenzene (3b) and 1,3,5-tris(2-nitroxyethylnitramino)-2,4,6-trinitrobenzene (3c) were prepared by the nitration of 1-(2-hydroxyethylamino)-2,4,6-trinitrobenzene (2a) 1,3-bis(2-hydroxyethylamino)-2,4,6-trinitrobenzene (2b) and 1,3,5-tris(2-hydroxyethylamino)-2,4,6-trinitrobenzene (2c) using bismuth nitrate pentahydrate (eco-friendly nitrating agent) in tetrahydrofuran adsorbed on silica gel under microwave irradiation, respectively. Key intermediate compounds viz., 2a, 2b and 2c were synthesized by condensing picryl chloride, styphnyl chloride and 1,3,5-trichloro-2,4,6-trinitrobenzene with ethanol amine, respectively, based on the lines of the reported method. The synthesized compounds were characterized based on their physical constant, infrared (IR) spectroscopy and (1)H nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy. The spectroscopic data obtained indicated the formation of nitrate esters (3a-3c). The nitration methodology adopted in the present study is of relevance in the context of green chemistry. The target compounds (3a-3c) synthesized using eco-friendly approach are of interest from the point of high energy materials (HEMs).     

Hydrogen peroxide and oxygen-hydrogen oxidation of aromatic compounds in catalytic systems containing heteropoly compounds

Hydrogen peroxide and Pt activated mixture of gaseous O(2) and H(2) have been applied to oxidation of aromatic compounds in the presence of redox active heteropoly compounds in the form of acid H(4)PMo(11)VO(40) and tetrabuthylammonium (TBA) salts TBA(4)PMo(11)VO(40) and TBA(4)HPW(11)Fe(OH)O(39). Benzene, toluene and phenol were subjected to hydroxylation of the ring, which was accompanied by secondary oxidation in the reaction with hydrogen peroxide. Oxygenation of toluene was equally directed to the ring and to methyl group. The total reactivity of substrates was increased in the order of benzene相似文献   

Arsenic removal by a waste metal (hydr)oxide entrapped into calcium alginate beads

In this work, a solid waste material from an electroplating industrial plant has been investigated for As(III) and As(V) sorption. This sorbent, a mixture of mainly Fe(III) and Ni(II) (hydr)oxides, has been used both in its native form and entrapped in calcium alginate. The effect of sorbent concentration in the gel bead, solution pH, contact time and As(III) and As(V) concentration on sorption has been studied. Furthermore the effect of the gel matrix has been investigated. A 10% (w/v) of (hydr)oxide in the gel beads was found to provide both spherical beads shape and good sorption performance. Solution pH was found to exert a stronger influence in As(V) than in As(III) sorption. The optimum pH range resulted to be within 5-10 for As(III) and within 6-9 for As(V). Taking into account these results, pH 8 was chosen for further sorption experiments. Equilibrium was reached after 48 h contact time for the studied systems. Kinetics data of both As(III) and As(V) onto native (hydr)oxide (O) and entrapped in calcium alginate beads (10% O-CA) were successfully modelled according to pseudo-first and pseudo-second order equations. Sorption equilibrium data were evaluated by the Langmuir isotherm model and the maximum capacity q(max) were 77.4 and 126.5 mg g(-1) for As(III) on O and 10% O-CA, and 26.8 and 41.6 mg g(-1) for As(V) on O and 10% O-CA, respectively. The entrapment of the (hydr)oxide in a calcium alginate gel matrix improved the As(III) and As(V) sorption by 60%.     

Physical and chemical modification of distillery sludge for Pb(II) biosorption

The waste distillery sludge from sugar-cane industry was pretreated physically (boiled, heated and autoclaved) as well as chemically (HCl, H(2)SO(4), H(3)PO(4), NaOH, Ca(OH)(2), Al(OH)(3), C(6)H(6), HCHO, CH(3)OH and C1(2)H(25)OSO(3)Na (sodium dodecyl sulphate (SDS)) for assessing the comparative sorption capacity of untreated and modified distillery sludge for Pb(II) biosorption from aqueous solutions. Experiments were conducted in shake flasks on a batch basis to access the effect of different experimental parameters such as pH, biosorbent dosage, biosorbent size, initial Pb(II) concentration and contact time. The uptake capacity 'q' (mg/g) of untreated and pretreated distillery sludge was in following order: NaOH (51.29+/-1.21)>HCl (49.82+/-1.22)>HCHO (49.56+/-1.14)>H(2)SO(4) (47.71+/-1.20)>HgCl(2) (45.32+/-1.06)>Ca(OH)(2) (44.01+/-1.18)>MeOH (43.73+/-1.23)>C(6)H(6) (42.72+/-1.19)>H(3)PO(4) (42.01+/-1.17)>SDS (40.87+/-1.27)>autoclaved (40.23+/-1.24)>Boiled (39.95+/-1.19)>heated (38.87+/-1.32)>Al (OH)(3) (38.30+/-1.14)>untreated (37.76+/-1.21). In further parameter studies, the optimized biosorbent size was 0.250 mm at pH 5 and best dose was 0.05 g of biosorbent. The applicability of the Langmuir and Freundlich models for sorption process was tested and best fitted model was Langmuir with the coefficient of determination (R(2)) value, 0.97, the process followed second order kinetic mechanism.     

Oxidation of the pesticide atrazine at DSA electrodes

This paper presents the study of the electrochemical oxidation of the pesticide atrazine at a Ti/Ru(0.3)Ti(0.7)O(2) dimensionally stable anodes (DSA). The effect of using different supporting electrolytes (NaCl, NaOH, NaNO(3), NaClO(4), H(2)SO(4) and Na(2)SO(4)) during the galvanostatic electrolysis of atrazine was investigated. It was observed that the removal of atrazine and total organic carbon (TOC) was only achieved at appreciable rates when NaCl was used as the supporting electrolyte, due to the oxidising species formed in this electrolyte (e.g. ClO(-)). Variation of the NaCl concentration demonstrated that, although only low concentrations of NaCl are necessary to result in the complete removal of atrazine in solution, TOC removal is almost linearly dependent on the quantity of NaCl in solution. Examination of the applied current density indicates that the efficiency of TOC removal reaches a maximum at 60 mA cm(-2). Testing of alternative electrode materials containing SnO(2) did not improve the efficiency of atrazine removal in Na(2)SO(4), but in NaCl a small increase was observed. Overall there appears to be no great advantage in using SnO(2)-containing electrodes over the Ti/Ru(0.3)Ti(0.7)O(2) electrode.     

Kinetics of decolorization of an azo dye in UV alone and UV/H(2)O(2) processes

The decolorization of C.I. Acid Red 27 (AR27), a monoazo anionic dye, was studied in the ultraviolet radiation (UV) alone and UV plus hydrogen peroxide (UV/H(2)O(2)) processes. The experimental results indicated that the kinetics of both oxidation processes fit well by pseudo-first order kinetics. The reaction rate was sensitive to the operational parameters and increased with increasing H(2)O(2) concentration and light intensity. The reaction orders of H(2)O(2) concentration and light intensity in both processes were obtained with linear regression method. A regression model was developed for pseudo-first order rate constant (k(ap,UV/H(2)O(2))) as a function of the Cconcentration and UV light intensity. (k(ap,UV/H(2)O(2)))=(2 x 10(-4)I(0.75)(0) + k(3)I(1.38)(0)[H(2)O(2)](n)(0))phi(AR27). As a result of two opposing effects of H(2)O(2) concentration at low and high concentrations, n has a value of 0.49 and -0.39 and k(3) has a value of 3 x 10(-4) and 0.1 for the regions of 0 mg l(-1) < [H(2)O(2)](0) < 650 mg l(-1) and 650 mg l(-1) < [H(2)O(2)](0) < 1500 mg l(-1)1, respectively. PhiAR27 is the initial dye concentration correlation index for developing of model for different initial concentrations of AR27. This rate expression can be used for predicting k(ap,UV/H(2)O(2) at different conditions in UV alone and UV/H2O2 processes. The results show that UV alone cannot be an efficient method for decolorization of AR27 in comparison with UV/H(2)O(2) process, therefore the first term of the model can be neglected.     

Oxidation of As(III) in aqueous solutions by means of macroporous redox copolymers with N-chlorosulfonamide pendant groups

The possibility of oxidizing As(III) to As(V) in aqueous solutions by means of heterogeneous oxidants, i.e. synthetic macromolecular redox compounds, was studied. The materials contain N-chlorosulfonamide functional groups in the sodium form: [P]-SO(2)NClNa (R/ClNa, 2.1 mmol/g) or in the hydrogen form: [P]-SO(2)NClH (R/ClH, 2.4 mmol/g), attached to a cross-linked macroporous poly(styrene-divinylbenzene) matrix. They were obtained through the transformation of Amberlyst 15 (Rohm and Haas) commercial cation exchanger's sulfonic functional groups. The experiments were conducted in the H(2)O and 0.01 M NaOH environment (R/ClNa) and in the H(2)O and 0.01 M H(2)SO(4) environment (R/ClH), using the batch process and the column process and NaAsO(2) solutions (93-375 mg As(III)/dm(3)). The experiments showed that the two copolymers' capacity to oxidize As(III) is high and depends on the process conditions. In the column process experiments, conducted using NaAsO(2) solutions with a concentration of ～ 93 mg As(III)/dm(3) at a flow rate of 4 BV/h (R/ClH) and 6 BV/h (R/ClNa), a breakthrough (defined as the exceedance of 0.05 mg As(III)/dm(3) in the effluent) would occur after the solutions amounting to about 400 bed volumes had been passed through the column.     

Water-soluble germanium(0) nanocrystals: cell recognition and near-infrared photothermal conversion properties

Surfactant-passivated germanium nanocrystals (Ge(0) NCs) 3-5 nm in diameter were synthesized and encapsulated with functionalized phospholipids to yield water-soluble Ge(0) NCs. Upon encapsulation, the NCs retained their cubic crystalline phase and displayed good resistance to oxidation, as determined by transmission electron microscopy and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. As a test of their cell compatibility, the ability of carboxyfluorescein (CF)-labeled dinitrophenyl (DNP)-functionalized Ge(0) NCs to crosslink dinitrophenol-specific immunoglobulin E antibodies on the surface of mast cells (RBL-2H3) was examined in vitro. Treatment with a multivalent DNP antigen (i.e., DNP-Ge(0) NCs or CF-DNP-Ge(0) NCs) caused crosslinking of FcepsilonRI receptors and cellular responses, which were evaluated with morphological and colorimetric assays and live-cell fluorescence microscopy. Incubation of RBL-2H3 cells with Ge(0) NCs for approximately 24 h gave less than a 2 % increase in cell death as compared to DNP-functionalized bovine serum albumin. When irradiated with near-infrared (NIR) radiation (lambda(exc)=770 nm, 1.1 W cm(-2)) from a continuous-wave Ti:sapphire laser, the bulk-solution temperature of a toluene solution containing 20 mg mL(-1) Ge(0) NCs increased by approximately 35 degrees C within 5 min. Phospholipid-encapsulated water-soluble Ge(0) NCs at concentrations of 1.0 mg mL(-1) also displayed stable photothermal behavior under repetitive and prolonged NIR laser exposures in water, to yield a temperature increase of approximately 20 degrees C within 5 min (lambda(exc)=770 nm, 0.9 W cm(-2)). The photothermal efficiency of water-soluble Ge(0) NCs compares favorably with a recent report for Au nanoshells.