Rapid SABRE Catalyst Scavenging Using Functionalized Silicas

In recent years the NMR hyperpolarisation method signal amplification by reversible exchange (SABRE) has been applied to multiple substrates of potential interest for in vivo investigation. Unfortunately, SABRE commonly requires an iridium-containing catalyst that is unsuitable for biomedical applications. This report utilizes inductively coupled plasma-optical emission spectroscopy (ICP-OES) to investigate the potential use of metal scavengers to remove the iridium catalytic species from the solution. The most sensitive iridium emission line at 224.268 nm was used in the analysis. We report the effects of varying functionality, chain length, and scavenger support identity on iridium scavenging efficiency. The impact of varying the quantity of scavenger utilized is reported for the three scavengers with the highest iridium removed from initial investigations: 3-aminopropyl (S1), 3-(imidazole-1-yl)propyl (S4), and 2-(2-pyridyl) (S5) functionalized silica gels. Exposure of an activated SABRE sample (1.6 mg mL−1 of iridium catalyst) to 10 mg of the most promising scavenger (S5) resulted in <1 ppm of iridium being detectable by ICP-OES after 2 min of exposure. We propose that combining the approach described herein with other recently reported approaches, such as catalyst separated-SABRE (CASH-SABRE), would enable the rapid preparation of a biocompatible SABRE hyperpolarized bolus.

Adsorption Separation of Arsenic(III) and Arsenic(V) using Functionalized Silica Gels

A method for the adsorption separation of inorganic arsenic species (As(III)/As(V)) using sequentially connected preconcentrating columns filled with functionalized silica gels and their determination by inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry was proposed. As(V) was effectively retained at pH 3.5–6.5 by an adsorbent containing groups of quaternary phosphonium bases on the surface and exhibiting the properties of an anion exchanger. In this pH range, As(III) was not extracted, which made it possible to separate As(V) from As(III). As(III) was retained in a wide pH range of 1–6 by a complexing adsorbent containing mercapto groups on the surface. Adsorbed As(V) was quantitatively eluted from the surface with 1M HNO3, and As(III) – with 5 % unithiol solution in 2M HCl. The use of «non-aggressive» eluents allows us to reuse adsorbents for preconcentration of As(III) and As(V) at least 5 times. The separation efficiency was confirmed by the analysis of model solutions

Kinetics of Adsorption Competition of Pb-Cu and Pb-Methylene Blue in Aqueous Solution using Silica Gels from Coal Fly Ash

The present study investigates the removal of Pb2+ using silica gel (SG) in the presence of the Cu2+ (Pb-Cu) and methylene blue (Pb-MB) ion competitor. These pollutants are toxic and harmful to the ecosystem. The presence of the multicomponent pollutants causes more complications to remove from the water system. The adsorptions were examined in a batch system under certain experimental conditions (pH solution system and contact time). Meanwhile, the FTIR spectrophotometer determines the differences adsorption interaction in silica functional groups before and after adsorption. The results showed that the silanol group of silica gel acted as an adsorption site. In the single systems, the adsorption capacity of silica gel follows the order MB > Cu2+ > Pb2+ of around 84.03; 64.81; and 56.88 mg.L−1, respectively. The kinetic adsorptions of both single and binary systems were best fitted to pseudo-second-order models. In the binary solution systems, both adsorption capacity and adsorption rate of each component decreased compared to the single system. The results indicated that the cationic competitors influenced the Pb2+ adsorption, or vice versa, depending on the amount of charge and adsorption affinity.

Cyanobacterial Encapsulation In Biocompatible Silica Gels v1

Silica gels are a biohybrid material for the encapsulation of cyanobacteria. Their internal structure is based on a highly porous three-dimensional SiO2 network with a mesoporous distribution of porosity, with a high number of micropores and mesopores. The cells are "encapsulated" in the material as they are embedded in the matrix, establishing almost direct contact with it. There is a reduced space between the cell and the silica matrix, favouring contact. Macroscopically, the material can be presented in almost any desired shape and structure, ideally as thin films or hollow tubular monoliths of reduced thickness. Visually, it appears to be a rigid, greenish-coloured material. The gels allow a low diffusional limit, its transparency allows cells to photosynthesise, and it is tough. Their synthesis is not simple, as the behaviour of the gels can be variable; but in the end they form an almost ideal encapsulation for cyanobacteria.

The Effect of Carbon Nanotubes on the Strength of Sand Seeped by Colloidal Silica in Triaxial Testing

Colloidal silica can quickly seep through sand and then form silica gels to cement sand particles. To improve the strength of sand seeped by colloidal silica, carbon nanotubes were dispersed in the colloidal silica to form carbon-nanotube-reinforced sand-gel composites. Then triaxial tests were performed to explore how carbon nanotube content affects shear strength. The test results showed that:(1) with the increase of colloidal silica concentration, the shear strength significantly increased with the same carbon nanotube content (especially the low concentration of 10 wt% colloidal silica, which showed almost no reinforcing effect with carbon nanotubes) while 40 wt% colloidal silica plus 0.01 wt% carbon nanotube caused the maximum increase of shear strength by up to 93.65%; (2) there was a concentration threshold of colloidal silica, above which the shear strength first increased to the peak value and then decreased with increasing carbon nanotube content (and we also established a formula to predict such phenomenon); and (3) SEM images showed that carbon nanotubes were connected as several ropes in the micro-cracks of the silica gel, resulting in greater macroscopic shear strength. Our new method of mixing carbon nanotubes and colloidal silica to seep through sand can contribute to sandy ground improvement.

Microbial cellulases immobilized in biopolymer/silica matrices used as enzyme release systems

Trichoderma viride CMGB 1 cellulases were immobilized by entrapment in silica gels (by sol-gel method), alginate biopolymers and hybrid alginate/silica materials. Tetramethoxysilane (TMOS), tetraethoxysilane (TEOS) and tetrakis (2-hydroxyethyl) orthosilicate (THEOS) were used as organoalkoxysilane precursors and ethanol or ethylene glycol as cosolvents in a two step sol-gel synthesis. Combined alginate/silica matrices resulted by mixing silica sol with sodium alginate or by coating alginate beads with a silica shell. The partial confinement of ethylene glycol in the matrix with consequences on biocatalytic activity was investigated using SEM-EDAX, thermal analysis and FT-IR spectroscopy. The efficiency of the enzyme-matrix biomaterials was tested in controlled enzyme release experiments. The sol-gel method developed using EG as a co-solvent allowed cellulase immobilization yields 1.5-4.5 times higher compared to classical sol-gel methods that use EtOH. The characterization of the gels by microscopic and spectrophotometric analyzes showed that there are similarities between the structure of the gels based on THEOS and those developed by us from TEOS, TMOS and EG as co-solvent. The new developed gels showed good cellulase release properties at acidic pH, comparable to those based on THEOS and alginate. The microbial cellulases immobilized in the matrices obtained and characterized in this work can operate as efficient systems for releasing enzymes, in acidic pH conditions, as feed additives.