H-Clinoptilolite as an Efficient and Low-Cost Adsorbent for Batch and Continuous Gallium Removal from Aqueous Solutions

In this paper, the gallium (III) ions’ adsorption onto protonated clinoptilolite (H-CLP) was investigated both in batch and fixed-bed column experiments. Regarding batch experiments, the influence of some parameters such as adsorbent dosage, size particle, and temperature was studied, determining that a dosage of 10 g/L for an initial pollutant concentration of 40 mg/L leads to a removal percentage over 85% regardless of particle size and temperature. On the other hand, adsorption of gallium onto H-CPL is an endothermic and spontaneous process in the studied temperature range, concluding that the maximum adsorption capacity was 16 mg/g for 60 °C. Concerning to the effect of the presence of other cations in solution, such as Na+, K+, or Ca2+, gallium adsorption capacity only drops by 20%, although the initial concentration of other cations in the solution is 50 times higher than gallium concentration. This means that clinoptilolite has a high affinity for gallium which can be very favorable for further selectivity tests. A crucial factor for this high selectivity could be the protonation of clinoptilolite which allows working without modifying the pH of the aqueous solution with acid. In the fixed-bed experiments, breakthrough curves were obtained, and the effect of operation variables was determined. A breakpoint value of 254 min for 64 g of adsorbent and flow rate of 9.0 mL/min (7.0 BV/h) were obtained, when treating a pollutant volume of 33 BV. Additionally, the breakthrough curves were fitted to different models to study the particle size effect, being the best fit corresponding to the Adams–Bohart model. This fact confirmed the influence of particle size on adsorption kinetics. Graphical Abstract

Gallium Concentration Optimisation of Gallium Doped Zinc Oxide for Improvement of Optical Properties

The near-band luminescence of doped ZnO is promising for advanced scintillators; however, the dopant type and concentration effects require a detailed study. Undoped and Ga-doped ZnO nanopowders were prepared by a microwave-assisted solvothermal method and the gallium concentration effect on luminescence properties was studied. The near-band luminescence peak position dependence on gallium concentration was observed. Near-band luminescence intensity versus defect luminescence intensity ratio was explored for different gallium concentrations and the optimal value was determined. Samples were prepared with dopant concentrations between 0.2 and 1.5 at%, XRD analysis confirmed that samples contained only zinc oxide hexagonal wurtzite phase. The results of the research showed that ZnO:Ga containing 0.9 at.% gallium was promising for scintillators.

Iron/Heme Metabolism-Targeted Gallium(III) Nanoparticles Are Active against Extracellular and Intracellular Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Acinetobacter baumannii

ABSTRACT Iron/heme acquisition systems are critical for microorganisms to acquire iron from the human host, where iron sources are limited due to the nutritional immune system and insolubility of the ferric form of iron. Prior work has shown that a variety of gallium compounds can interfere with bacterial iron acquisition. This study explored the intra- and extracellular antimicrobial activities of gallium protoporphyrin (GaPP), gallium mesoporphyrin (GaMP), and nanoparticles encapsulating GaPP or GaMP against the Gram-negative pathogens Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Acinetobacter baumannii, including clinical isolates. All P. aeruginosa and A. baumannii isolates were susceptible to GaPP and GaMP, with MICs ranging from 0.5 to ∼32 μg/ml in iron-depleted medium. Significant intra- and extracellular growth inhibition was observed against P. aeruginosa cultured in macrophages at a gallium concentration of 3.3 μg/ml (5 μM) of all Ga(III) compounds, including nanoparticles. Nanoparticle formulations showed prolonged activity against both P. aeruginosa and A. baumannii in previously infected macrophages. When the macrophages were loaded with the nanoparticles 3 days prior to infection, there was a 5-fold decrease in growth of P. aeruginosa in the presence of single emulsion F127 copolymer nanoparticles encapsulating GaMP (eFGaMP). In addition, all Ga(III) porphyrins and nanoparticles showed significant intracellular and antibiofilm activity against both pathogens, with the nanoparticles exhibiting intracellular activity for 3 days. Ga nanoparticles also increased the survival rate of Caenorhabditis elegans nematodes infected by P. aeruginosa and A. baumannii. Our results demonstrate that Ga nanoparticles have prolonged in vitro and in vivo activities against both P. aeruginosa and A. baumannii, including disruption of their biofilms.

Production, Physicochemical and Catalytic Properties of Gallium-Containing Zeolite Catalysts

<p>Crystalline galloalumino- and gallosilicates with pentasil structure were synthesised under hydrother-mal conditions. The influence of gallium concentration and binder amount both on physicochemical and catalytic properties of a zeolite in the process of C₂-C₄ light alkanes aromatization and on catalyst deacti-vation due to carbidization has been studied. Acidic properties of gallium-containing pentasils with differ-ent composition were studied using the method of thermoprogrammed ammonia desorption. The forma-tion of strong aproton acidic sites whose composition includes gallium ions was found. It has been shown that isomorphic aluminium replacement by gallium in the pentasil lattice leads to a significant increase in aromatizing activity and period of stable catalyst operation. A decrease in intensity of coking and the formation of less condensed coke deposits with a wide distribution by the structure are observed with the increase in gallium concentration. The introduction of a binder to galloaluminosilicate results in a signifi-cant increase in mechanical strength of a catalyst. It was established that the most efficient catalyst of the above process is a zeolite containing 2.2% of gallium oxide and 1.3% of aluminium oxide and mixed with 20% of the pseudobeumite. The selectivity of the formation of aromatic hydrocarbons reaches 55-60%, the period of stable operation exceeds 350 h. In accordance with the data obtained suggested are the principles of the selection of efficient catalysts of light alkanes aromatization and optimum conditions of the process.</p>