scholarly journals Surface Functionalization of Mesoporous Carbon for the Enhanced Removal of Strontium and Cesium Radionuclides

Coatings ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (10) ◽  
pp. 923
Author(s):  
Munzir Hamedelniel Suliman ◽  
Mohammad Nahid Siddiqui ◽  
Chanbasha Basheer

Mesoporous carbons (MPC) and modified mesoporous carbons (MMPC) were prepared from asphalt for the adsorption of several metal ions from the aqueous solution. In this study, we investigated the adsorption efficiency of Cesium (Cs+) and Strontium (Sr2+) ions using mesoporous and modified mesoporous carbons. The optimum conditions for the removal of Cs+ and Sr2+ were at 10.0 pH, 1.00 ppm (1000.0 µg/L) concentration, 20.0 min contact time, 0.20 g/L adsorbent dose, 25.0 °C temperature with more than 95.0% removal of Cs+ and Sr2+ ions using MMPC. The limit of detection (LOD) was found to be 0.030 ppb and 10.00 ppb for Sr2+ and Cs+ metals ions, respectively, while the Limit of quantification (LOQ) was calculated to be 0.10 ppb for Sr2+ and 35.00 ppb for Cs+ metals ions. The functionalization of the MPC was performed using potassium permanganate to get MMPC, which were characterized by FT-IR spectroscopy. The nature of the X-ray diffraction peaks suggests that the MPC and MMPC carbons are amorphous and semi-crystalline materials. The scanning electron microscope (SEM) and transition electron microscope (TEM) studies showed the changes in the morphology due to the adsorption on the surface of the carbons. The TEM analysis clearly showed that the metal ions blocked most of the pores on the surface. The surface area, by N2 adsorption isotherm (BET), of MPC and MMPC were 937 and 667 m2·g−1, respectively. Among the adsorption isotherms, Langmuir isotherm showed the best linearity. The Langmuir isotherm indicates that the adsorption is monolayer and homogeneous with a finite number of ions. Adsorption kinetics showed better linearity with pseudo-second-order plots and obeys this order. This process indicates that the chemical interaction, such as covalent or ionic bonding, took place between the metal ions and the carbon adsorbents.

Author(s):  
Mohammad Hamzah Hamzah ◽  
Rawa M M Taqi ◽  
Muna M. Hasan ◽  
Raid J. M. Al-Timimi

A simple and accurate spectrophotometric method for the determination of Trifluoperazine HCl in pure and dosage forms was developed. The method is based on the reaction between Trifluoperazine HCl and p-chloroaniline in the presence of cerium ion as oxidizing agent which lead to the formation of violate color product that absorbed at a maximum wavelength 570nm while the blank solution was pink. Under the optimum conditions a linear relationship between the intensity and concentration of TRF in the range 4-50μg/ml was obtained . The molar absorptivity 3.74×103 L.mol-1.cm-1 , Limit of detection (2.21μg/ml), while limit of quantification was 7.39μg/ml. The proposed analytical method was compared with standard method using t-test and F-test , the obtained results shows there is no significant differences between proposed method and standard method. Based on that the proposed method can be used as an alternative method for the determination of TRF in pure and dosage forms.


Author(s):  
Sidra Amin ◽  
Amber R. Solangi ◽  
Dilawar Hassan ◽  
Nadir Hussain ◽  
Jamil Ahmed ◽  
...  

Background: In recent years, the occurrence and fate of environmental pollutants has been recognized as one of the emerging issues in environmental chemistry. A survey documented about a wide variety of these pollutants, which are often detected in our environment and these are major cause of shortened life spans and the global warming. These pollutants include toxic metal, pesticides, fertilizers, drugs and dyes released into soil and major water bodies. The presence of these contaminants causes major disturbance in eco-system’s balance. To tackle these issues many technological improvements are made to detect minute contaminations. The latest issue being answered by the scientists is the use of green nano materials as sensors which are economical, instant and give much better results at low concentrations and can be used for the field measurements resulting in no dangerous by-product that could lead to more environmental contamination. Nano materials are known for their wide band gap, enhanced physical and optical properties with option of tuneablity as per need, by optimizing certain parameters. They are proved to be good choice for analytical/optical sensors with high sensitivity. Objective: This review holds information about multiple methods that use green nanomaterials for the analytical assessment of environmental pollutants. UV-Vis spectrophotometry and electrochemical analysis using green and reproducible nanomaterials are the major focus of this review article. To date, there are number of spectrophotometric and electro chemical methods available that have been used for the detection of environmental pollutants such as toxic metals, pesticides and dyes. Conclusion: The use of nanomaterials can drastically change the detection limits due to having large surface area, strong catalytic properties, and tunable possibility. With the use of nano materials, lower than the marked limit of detection and limit of quantification were seen when compared with previously reported work. The used nano-materials could be washed, dried, and reused, which makes the methods more proficient, cost effective and environmentally friendly.


2020 ◽  
Vol 16 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nadereh Rahbar ◽  
Fatemeh Ahmadi ◽  
Zahra Ramezani ◽  
Masoumeh Nourani

Background: Sample preparation is one of the most challenging phases in pharmaceutical analysis, especially in biological matrices, affecting the whole analytical methodology. Objective: In this study, a new Ca(II)/Cu(II)/alginate/CuO nanoparticles hydrogel fiber (CCACHF) was synthesized through a simple, green procedure and applied for fiber micro solid phase extraction (FMSPE) of diazepam (DIZ) and oxazepam (OXZ) as model drugs prior to high-performance liquid chromatography-UV detection (HPLC-UV). Methods: Composition and morphology of the prepared fiber were characterized and the effect of main parameters on the fiber fabrication and extraction efficiency have been studied and optimized. Results: In optimal conditions, calibration curves were linear ranging between 0.1–500 µg L−1 with regression coefficients of 0.9938 and 0.9968. Limit of detection (LOD) (S/N=3) and limit of quantification (LOQ) (S/N=10) of the technique for DIZ and OXZ were 0.03 to 0.1 µg L−1. Within-day and between-day relative standard deviations (RSDs) for DIZ and OXZ were 6.0–12.5% and 3.3–9.4%, respectively. Conclusion: The fabricated adsorbent has been substantially employed to extraction of selected benzo-diazepines (BZDs) from human serum real specimens and the obtained recoveries were also satisfactory (82.1-109.7%).


2020 ◽  
Vol 16 (3) ◽  
pp. 277-286
Author(s):  
Amal A. El-Masry ◽  
Mohammed E. A. Hammouda ◽  
Dalia R. El-Wasseef ◽  
Saadia M. El-Ashry

Background: The first highly sensitive, rapid and specific green microemulsion liquid chromatographic (MELC) method was established for the simultaneous estimation of fluticasone propionate (FLU) and azelastine HCl (AZL) in the presence of their pharmaceutical dosage form additives (phenylethyl alcohol (PEA) and benzalkonium chloride (BNZ)). Methods: The separation was performed on a C18 column using (o/w) microemulsion as a mobile phase which contains 0.2 M sodium dodecyl sulphate (SDS) as surfactant, 10% butanol as cosurfactant, 1% n-octanol as internal phase and 0.3% triethylamine (TEA) adjusted at pH 6 by 0.02 M phosphoric acid; with UV detection at 220 nm and programmed with flow rate of 1 mL/min. Results: The validation characteristics e.g. linearity, lower limit of quantification (LOQ), lower limit of detection (LOD), accuracy, precision, robustness and specificity were investigated. The proposed method showed linearity over the concentration range of (0.5-25 µg/mL) and (0.1-25 µg/mL) for FLU and AZL, respectively. Besides that, the method was adopted in a short chromatographic run with satisfactory resolution factors of (2.39, 3.78 and 6.74 between PEA/FLU, FLU/AZL and AZL/BNZ), respectively. The performed method was efficiently applied to pharmaceutical nasal spray with (mean recoveries ± SD) (99.80 ± 0.97) and (100.26 ± 0.96) for FLU and AZL, respectively. Conclusion: The suggested method was based on simultaneous determination of FLU and AZL in the presence of PEA and BNZ in pure form, laboratory synthetic mixture and its combined pharmaceutical dosage form using green MELC technique with UV detection. The proposed method appeared to be superior to the reported ones of being more sensitive and specific, as well as the separation was achieved with good performance in a relatively short analysis time (less than 7.5 min). Highly acceptable values of LOD and % RSD make this method superior to be used in quality control laboratories with of HPLC technique.


Chemosensors ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (2) ◽  
pp. 35
Author(s):  
Ahmed H. Naggar ◽  
Ahmed Kotb ◽  
Ahmed A. Gahlan ◽  
Mahmoud H. Mahross ◽  
Abd El-Aziz Y. El-Sayed ◽  
...  

Herein, a feasible chemical reduction method followed by intensive mixing was applied for the preparation of an attractive material based on graphite studded with cuprous oxide nanoparticle-based cubes (Cu2ONPs–C@G). Transmission electron microscope (TEM), scanning electron microscope (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD) and cyclic voltammetry (CV) were utilized for characterization. Cuprous oxide nanoparticles (Cu2ONPs), with a diameter range mainly distributed from 4 to 20 nm, aggregate to form microcubes (Cu2ONPs–C) with an average diameter of about 367 nm. Paste electrode was prepared using Cu2ONPs–C@G (Cu2ONPs–C@G/PE) for voltametric quantification of the musculotropic antispasmodic drug: mebeverine hydrochloride (MEB). The electrochemical behavior of MEB was studied using CV, and the optimum analytical parameters were investigated using square wave adsorptive anodic stripping voltammetry (SWAdASV). Moreover, density functional theory (DFT) was used to emphasize the ability of MEB to form a complex with Cu2+, confirming the suggested electrochemical behavior of MEB at Cu2ONPs–C@G/PE. With good stability and high reproducibility, SWAdASV of Cu2ONPs–C@G/PE shows successful quantification of MEB over the concentration range of 5.00 × 10−11–1.10 × 10−9 M with lower limit of detection (LOD) and lower limit of quantification (LOQ) values of 2.41 × 10−11 M and 8.05 × 10−11 M, respectively. Finally, accurate quantification of MEB in dosage forms (tablets) and biological fluids (spiked human urine and plasma samples) was achieved using Cu2ONPs-C@G/PE.


Materials ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 14 (4) ◽  
pp. 723
Author(s):  
Kgotla K. Masibi ◽  
Omolola E. Fayemi ◽  
Abolanle S. Adekunle ◽  
Amal M. Al-Mohaimeed ◽  
Asmaa M. Fahim ◽  
...  

This report narrates the successful application of a fabricated novel sensor for the trace detection of endosulfan (EDS). The sensor was made by modifying a glassy-carbon electrode (GCE) with polyaniline (PANI), chemically synthesized antimony oxide nanoparticles (AONPs), acid-functionalized, single-walled carbon nanotubes (fSWCNTs), and finally, the AONP-PANI-SWCNT nanocomposite. The electrochemical properties of the modified electrodes regarding endosulfan detection were investigated via cyclic voltammetry (CV) and square-wave voltammetry. The current response of the electrodes to EDS followed the trend GCE-AONP-PANI-SWCNT (−510 µA) > GCE-PANI (−59 µA) > GCE-AONPs (−11.4 µA) > GCE (−5.52 µA) > GCE-fSWCNTs (−0.168 µA). The obtained results indicated that the current response obtained at the AONP-PANI-SWCNT/GCE was higher with relatively low overpotential compared to those from the other electrodes investigated. This demonstrated the superiority of the AONP-PANI-SWCNT-modified GCE. The AONP-PANI-SWCNT/GCE demonstrated good electrocatalytic activities for the electrochemical reduction of EDS. The results obtained in this study are comparable with those in other reports. The sensitivity, limit of detection (LoD), and limit of quantification (LoQ) of AONP-PANI-SWCNT/GCE towards EDS was estimated to be 0.0623 µA/µM, 6.8 µM, and 20.6 µM, respectively. Selectivity, as well as the practical application of the fabricated sensor, were explored, and the results indicated that the EDS-reduction current was reduced by only 2.0% when interfering species were present, whilst average recoveries of EDS in real samples were above 97%.


2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Colin Wood ◽  
Jason Sahl ◽  
Sara Maltinsky ◽  
Briana Coyne ◽  
Benjamin Russakoff ◽  
...  

Abstract Background Molecular assays are important tools for pathogen detection but need to be periodically re-evaluated with the discovery of additional genetic diversity that may cause assays to exclude target taxa or include non-target taxa. A single well-developed assay can find broad application across research, clinical, and industrial settings. Pathogen prevalence within a population is estimated using such assays and accurate results are critical for formulating effective public health policies and guiding future research. A variety of assays for the detection of Staphylococcus aureus are currently available. The utility of commercial assays for research is limited, given proprietary signatures and lack of transparent validation. Results In silico testing of existing peer-reviewed assays show that most suffer from a lack of sensitivity and specificity. We found no assays that were specifically designed and validated for quantitative use. Here we present a qPCR assay, SaQuant, for the detection and quantification of S. aureus as might be collected on sampling swabs. Sensitivity and specificity of the assay was 95.6 and 99.9 %, respectively, with a limit of detection of between 3 and 5 genome equivalents and a limit of quantification of 8.27 genome equivalents. The presence of DNA from non-target species likely to be found in a swab sample, did not impact qualitative or quantitative abilities of the assay. Conclusions This assay has the potential to serve as a valuable tool for the accurate detection and quantification of S. aureus collected from human body sites in order to better understand the dynamics of prevalence and transmission in community settings.


Chemosensors ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (5) ◽  
pp. 107
Author(s):  
Kequan Xu ◽  
Clara Pérez-Ràfols ◽  
Amine Marchoud ◽  
María Cuartero ◽  
Gastón A. Crespo

The widely spread use of the hanging mercury drop electrode (HMDE) for multi-ion analysis is primarily ascribed to the following reasons: (i) excellent reproducibility owing to the easy renewal of the electrode surface avoiding any hysteresis effect (i.e., a new identical drop is generated for each measurement to be accomplished); (ii) a wide cathodic potential window originating from the passive hydrogen evolution and solvent electrolysis; (iii) the ability to form amalgams with many redox-active metal ions; and (iv) the achievement of (sub)nanomolar limits of detection. On the other hand, the main controversy of the HMDE usage is the high toxicity level of mercury, which has motivated the scientific community to question whether the HMDE deserves to continue being used despite its unique capability for multi-metal detection. In this work, the simultaneous determination of Zn2+, Cd2+, Pb2+, and Cu2+ using the HMDE is investigated as a model system to evaluate the main features of the technique. The analytical benefits of the HMDE in terms of linear range of response, reproducibility, limit of detection, proximity to ideal redox behavior of metal ions and analysis time are herein demonstrated and compared to other electrodes proposed in the literature as less-toxic alternatives to the HMDE. The results have revealed that the HMDE is largely superior to other reported methods in several aspects and, moreover, it displays excellent accuracy when simultaneously analyzing Zn2+, Cd2+, Pb2+, and Cu2+ in such a complex matrix as digested soils. Yet, more efforts are required towards the definitive replacement of the HMDE in the electroanalysis field, despite the elegant approaches already reported in the literature.


2020 ◽  
Vol 18 (1) ◽  
pp. 962-973
Author(s):  
Saira Arif ◽  
Sadia Ata

AbstractA rapid and specific method was developed for simultaneous quantification of hydrocortisone 21 acetate (HCA), dexamethasone (DEX), and fluocinolone acetonide (FCA) in whitening cream formulations using reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography. The effect of the composition of the mobile phase, analysis temperature, and detection wavelength was investigated to optimize the separation of studied components. The analytes were finally well separated using ACE Excel 2, C18 AR column having 150 mm length, 3 mm internal diameter, and 2 µm particle size at 35°C using methanol with 1% formic acid and double-distilled deionized water in the ratio of 60:40 (v/v), respectively, as the mobile phase in isocratic mode. Ten microliters of sample were injected with a flow rate of 0.5 mL/min. The specificity, linearity, accuracy, precision, recovery, limit of detection (LOD), limit of quantification (LOQ), and robustness were determined to validate the method as per International Conference on Harmonization guidelines. All the analytes were simultaneously separated within 8 min, and observed retention times of HCA, DEX, and FCA were 4.5, 5.5, and 6.9 min, respectively. The proposed method showed good linearity with the correlation coefficient, R2 = 0.999 over the range of 1–150 µg/mL for all standards. The linear regression equations were y = 12.7x + 118.7 (r = 0.999) for HCA, y = 12.9x + 106.8 (r = 0.999) for DEX, and y = 12.9x + 96.8 (r = 0.999) for FCA. The LOD was 0.25, 0.20, and 0.08 µg/mL for HCA, FCA, and DEX and LOQ was 2.06, 1.83, and 1.55 µg/mL for HCA, FCA, and DEX, respectively. The recovery values of HCA, DEX, and FCA ranged from 100.7–101.3, 102.0–102.6, and 100.2–102.0%, respectively, and the relative standard deviation for precision (intra- and interday) was less than 2, which indicated repeatability and reproducibility. The novelty of the method was described by forced degradation experimentation of all analytes in the combined form under acidic, basic, oxidative, and thermal stress. The proposed method was found to be simple, rapid, and reliable for the simultaneous determination of HCA, DEX, and FCA in cosmetics.


Materials ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 14 (12) ◽  
pp. 3163
Author(s):  
Fengguo Liu ◽  
Ning Su ◽  
Renguo Guan

Multilayer reduced graphene oxide (mrGO) was chemically modified by electroless plating of copper on surface to form mrGO-Cu. The scanning electron microscope (SEM) and transmission electron microscope (TEM) analysis revealed that nano-Cu particles were uniformly dispersed on the surface of mrGO. The mrGO-Cu powders were further utilized as reinforcements for aluminum (Al) matrix and the mrGO-Cu/Al composite was successfully fabricated through clad rolling of milled powder. The tribological properties of the mrGO-Cu/Al composites were explored. The tribological results show that the mrGO-Cu could reduce the friction coefficient and wear loss of mrGO-Cu/Al composites, since the mrGO-Cu participated in lubricating processes due to the formation of a transfer layer on the contact surface. Furthermore, it is found that the composition of mrGO-Cu could significantly influence the tribological properties of the mrGO-Cu/Al composites. The composites with 4% of mrGO-Cu for composites exhibited the best tribological behavior, which transformed from adhesive wear to abrasive wear, due to the formation of a graphite lubricating film.


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