Preparation of an anion‐exchange adsorbent by the radiation‐induced grafting of vinylbenzyltrimethylammonium chloride onto cotton cellulose and its application for protein adsorption

Poly(vinylbenzyltrimethylammonium chloride)‐graft‐cotton cellulose, an anion‐exchange matrix, was synthesized by a mutual radiation‐induced grafting technique with a ⁶⁰Co γ‐radiation source. The grafted matrix was characterized by grafting yield estimation, elemental analysis, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, and scanning electron microscopy. The grafting yield decreased with the increase in the dose rate. However, the grafting yield and nitrogen content of grafted samples increased almost linearly with an increase in the total irradiation dose. To evaluate the performance of the grafted anion‐exchange matrix, the protein adsorption and elution behavior were investigated in a continuous column process under various experimental conditions, with bovine serum albumin used as a model protein. The binding and elution behavior of the anion‐exchange matrix depended on different experimental parameters, such as the grafting yield, ionic strength, pH of the medium, and amount of protein loaded. From a breakthrough curve, the equilibrium binding capacity and elution percentage of the grafted anion‐exchange matrix were estimated to be 40 mg/g and 94%, respectively. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 102: 5512–5521, 2006     

Dispersion—flocculation studies on a Goethite-clay system

Dispersion–flocculation studies on a Goethite–clay system using flocculants were carried out as a function of flocculant concentrations, pH of slurry, time of agitation and dispersant dosage. Also, the effects of pH and polymer concentrations on the adsorption behaviour of the system were investigated. Results show that well flocculated goethite was preferentially obtained from 4% goethite/kaolinite clay suspensions, with 50 ppm causticised starch in the slurry at pH values of 3–11·5 and with 50 ppm polyacrylamide at pH values of 3–8. Good flocs were also obtained on flocculation of the goethite suspension with 50 ppm polyacrylamide at pH values of 5–7, while the kaolinite suspension did not respond to the same dosage of causticised starch in the same pH range. Results further reveal that for the goethite/kaolinite suspension, the best results was obtained with 50 ppm polyacrylamide at pH values of 7–10. Based on the data generated in the study, it was concluded that causticised starch is a better flocculant than polyacrylamide for goethite suspensions although polyacrylamide is an excellent flocculant for kaolinite suspensions.     

Adsorption and decomposition of H2S on Pd(1 1 1) surface: a first-principles study

Gradient-corrected density functional theory was used to investigate the adsorption of H₂S on Pd(1 1 1) surface. Molecular adsorption was found to be stable with H₂S binding preferentially at top sites. In addition, the adsorption of other S moieties (SH and S) was investigated. SH and S were found to be preferentially bind at the bridge and fcc sites, respectively. The reaction pathways and energy profiles for H₂S decomposition giving rise to adsorbed S and H were determined. Both H₂S_(ad) → SH_(ad) + H_(ad) and SH_(ad) → S_(ad) + H_(ad) reactions were found to have low barriers and high exothermicities. This reveals that the decomposition of H₂S on Pd(1 1 1) surface is a facile process.     

An integrated downstream processing strategy for the recovery and partial purification of penicillin acylase from crude media

An integrated process strategy for the recovery of penicillin acylase was developed, based on precipitation of non‐enzymatic proteins directly from Escherichia coli homogenates or crude extracts using Rolquat (quaternary ammonium salt) and adsorption of the enzyme on Amp‐Seph (3.8 µmole ampicillin cm^?3) under pseudo‐affinity conditions. The effect of pH, concentrations of ammonium sulfate and Rolquat, and also concentrations of protein and cell debris on the precipitation of non‐enzymatic proteins from homogenates and crude extracts of penicillin acylase were analysed. The method of addition of Rolquat to homogenates and crude extracts significantly influenced the size of the precipitated particles. Improved results on the specific activity of penicillin acylase were obtained for 22% and 1% (w/v) of ammonium sulfate and Rolquat, respectively, added sequentially to enzyme solutions and at room temperature. Under these experimental conditions, the specific activity of penicillin acylase in homogenates and crude extracts was enhanced 2.5–3.0‐fold. Finally, the integrated process strategy was implemented first by precipitation of non‐enzymatic proteins and recovery of penicillin acylase directly from the enzyme solution treated with Rolquat using an adsorption/filtration system with an overall yield of 86%. This system allows simultaneously the filtration of cell debris and fine precipitated particles, in situ recovery of penicillin acylase by its adsorption on Amp‐Seph, and selective desorption of the enzyme with a specific activity of 11 IU (mg prot)^?1 and a desorption yield of 95%. © 2002 Society of Chemical Industry     

Synthesis and characterization of radiation grafted copolymer for removal of nonionic organic contaminants

Nonionic organic contaminants such as phenol, benzene, and toluene from contaminated wastewater on laboratory scale can be effectively sorbed by cellulosic wood pulp sheet incorporated with three polar functional groups. The synthesis was carried out by graft copolymerization reaction of N,N‐dimethylaminoethylmethacrylate with methacrylic acid onto wood pulp. The preparation conditions at which the grafting process proceeds homogeneously are determined. Characterization and some selected properties of the original and grafted wood pulp were evaluated using FTIR and scanning electron microscope, also, the removal of phenol, benzene, and toluene on laboratory scale was investigated by using gas chromatography. It was found that phenol shows the highest removal percent than that of benzene and toluene. The efficiency of removal of the nonionic contaminants is found to be 97%, which shows a great promise for its applicability in the removal of organic contaminates from wastewater. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 100: 3589–3595, 2006     

Effects of multiple weak interactions on the binding of phenolic compounds by polymeric adsorbents

To investigate the effects of multiple weak interactions on the binding of phenolic compounds by polymeric adsorbents, macroporous polystyrene (PS) resin and PS‐based adsorbents with different hydrogen‐bond acceptor atoms (PS CH₂( OCH₂CH₂)_n OCH₃, n = 0, 1, 2, and 3, denoted as PS‐EG₀, PS‐EG₁, PS‐EG₂, and PS‐EG₃) were prepared. The phenol adsorption strength order on these adsorbents was PS/PS‐EG₀ < PS‐EG₁ < PS‐EG₂ < PS‐EG₃, indicating that the adsorption on PS and PS‐EG₀ was driven by hydrophobic and π–π interactions, and the adsorption on PS‐EG₁, PS‐EG₂, and PS‐EG₃ was driven by a hydrogen bond in addition to hydrophobic and π–π interactions. PS‐EG₂ may adsorb a second phenol molecule on each binding site and PS‐EG₃ may adsorb second and third ones. The adsorption strength of resorcinol increased in the order of PS, PS‐EG₁, and PS‐EG₂, indicating that the adsorption was driven by 0, 1, and 2 hydrogen bonds in addition to hydrophobic and π–π interactions. Similarly, the adsorption of phloroglucinol on PS, PS‐EG₁, PS‐EG₂, and PS‐EG₃ was driven by 0, 1, 2, and 3 hydrogen bonds in addition to hydrophobic and π–π interactions because the adsorption strength increased in this order. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 102: 4652–4658, 2006     

Recovery of pyruvic acid with weakly basic polymeric sorbents

BACKGROUND: Carboxylic acids are among the most important substances that can be manufactured from biomass. However, the recovery of carboxylic acids from fermentation broths presents a challenging separation problem. To avoid the production of waste salts and net consumption of chemicals in the calcium carboxylate salt process, the use of reversible chemical complexation with polymeric sorbents and extractants is attractive for carboxylic acid recovery. Pyruvic acid is widely used in the manufacture of medicines, pesticides and foodstuffs and can be produced by fermentation. Since the acidity of pyruvic acid (pK_a = 2.49) is stronger than that of normal carboxylic acids, and as few reports on the recovery of pyruvic acid are available, the sorption of pyruvic acid from aqueous solution on two types of weakly basic polymeric sorbent, tertiary amine D301R and primary amine D392, was investigated over a wide pH range and at various salt (MgSO₄) concentrations. RESULTS: Overloading adsorption of pyruvic acid on both weakly basic polymeric sorbents occurred, with the overloading of D392 being greater than that of D301R. The adsorption of pyruvic acid on both sorbents was greatly affected by the solution pH and the salt concentration in the aqueous phase. An overloading model was able to predict the experimental uptake data very well. CONCLUSION: Solution pH is one of the most important operating conditions, and both polymeric sorbents D392 and D301R can be used to recover pyruvic acid from dilute aqueous solution with high efficiency at a solution pH around 2. The uptake by D392 is greater than that by D301R owing to steric hindrance of the tertiary amine. Copyright © 2008 Society of Chemical Industry     

Synthesis,extraction, and adsorption properties of calix[4]arene‐poly(ethylene‐glycol) crosslinked polymer

Novel calix[4]arene‐poly(ethylene glycol) crosslinked polymer (CCP) has been synthesized by the polycondensation reaction between a p‐tert‐butylcalix[4]arene derivative and dihydroxyl capped poly(ethylene glycol) (DHPEG, M_n = 1000) catalyzed by neodymium tosylate. The hydrogel, consisted of 66.9% water and 33.1% CCP, can selectively extract aromatic organic molecules from aqueous solution according to the diameter of the guest molecules, which infers that the diameter of the calix[4]arene cavity is about 5.4 Å and the conformation of calix[4]arene units altered from cone conformation to 1,3‐alternate conformation during the polycondensation reaction. Furthermore, CCP can also adsorb naphthalene from gas phase, showing much higher capacity than active carbon does, which may have some potential applications in the field of separation and environment protection. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2008     

Surface adsorption of comb polymers by Monte Carlo simulations

This paper reports off-lattice Monte Carlo simulations of highly-branched comb homopolymers weakly adsorbed on a flat, featureless surface showing only covolume and dispersion interactions with the adsorbate. A minimal coarse-grained model, described by hard spheres connected by harmonic springs, was employed. The interaction energy of the adsorbed combs and linear chains is first discussed as a function of the molecular mass and of the number of beads in contact with the surface. The molecular size is then investigated as a function of backbone length and branching density at a fixed arm size. The apparent swelling exponents of the adsorbed combs are larger than those of the corresponding linear chains, and much larger than that of the free molecules. This result indicates a surface-induced stiffening of the comb backbone, further studied through the persistence length l_pers. It is found that l_pers increases upon adsorption over the free-molecule value, more so the larger is the branching density. Finally, the thickness of the adsorbed layer, the surface-induced molecular anisotropy and the molecular aspect ratio are investigated as a function of branching density and molecular mass.     

D_2EHDTPA萃取铟的热力学研究

报道了用二 (2 乙基己基 )二硫代磷酸为萃取剂 ,以正庚烷为稀释剂萃取铟的热力学研究。在In2 (SO4 ) 3+Na2 SO4 +D2 EHDTPA +n C7H1 6 +H2 O体系中 ,在温度 2 78.15～ 3 0 3 .15K和离子强度 0 .1～ 2 .0mol·kg- 1 范围内 ,以Na2 SO4 为支持电解质 ,测定了萃取平衡水相中In3+浓度和pH值。计算了萃取反应的标准平衡常数K0 ,并得到经验公式logK0 =43 .93 -5 3 68.5 4 T -0 .0 699T ,同时计算了萃取反应的其他热力学量 ,并指出了焓和熵都是此萃取过程的推动力