Adsorption of Cationic Contaminants by Cyclodextrin Nanosponges Cross-Linked with 1,2,3,4-butanetetracarboxylic Acid and Poly(vinyl alcohol)

Cationic organic pollutants (dyes and pesticides) are mainly hydrosoluble and easily contaminate water and create a serious problem for biotic and abiotic species. The elimination of these dangerous contaminants from water was accomplished by adsorption using cyclodextrin nanosponges. These nanosponges were elaborated by the cross-linking between 1,2,3,4-butanetetracarboxylic acid and β-cyclodextrin in the presence of poly (vinyl alcohol). Their physicochemical characteristics were characterized by gravimetry, acid-base titration, TGA, 13C NMR, ATR-FTIR, Raman, X-ray diffraction, and Stereomicroscopy. The BP5 nanosponges displayed 68.4% yield, 3.31 mmol/g COOH groups, 0.16 mmol/g β-CD content, 54.2% swelling, 97.0% PQ removal, 96.7% SO removal, and 98.3% MG removal for 25 mg/L of initial concentration. The pseudo-second-order model was suitable for kinetics using 180 min of contact time. Langmuir isotherm was suitable for isotherm with the maximum adsorption of 120.5, 92.6, and 64.9 mg/g for paraquat (PQ), safranin (SO), and malachite green (MG) adsorption, respectively. Finally, the reusability performance after five regeneration times reached 94.1%, 91.6%, and 94.6% for PQ, SO, and MG adsorption, respectively.

Adsorption of Paraquat by Poly(Vinyl Alcohol)-Cyclodextrin Nanosponges

The contamination of hydrosoluble pesticides in water could generate a serious problem for biotic and abiotic components. The removal of a hazardous agrochemical (paraquat) from water was achieved by adsorption processes using poly(vinyl alcohol)-cyclodextrin nanosponges, which were prepared with various formulations via the crosslinking between citric acid and β-cyclodextrin in the presence of poly(vinyl alcohol). The physicochemical properties of nanosponges were also characterized by different techniques, such as gravimetry, thermogravimetry, microscopy (SEM and Stereo), spectroscopy (UV-visible, NMR, ATR-FTIR, and Raman), acid-base titration, BET surface area analysis, X-ray diffraction, and ion exchange capacity. The C10D-P2 nanosponges displayed 60.2% yield, 3.14 mmol/g COOH groups, 0.335 mmol/g β-CD content, 96.4% swelling, 94.5% paraquat removal, 0.1766 m2 g−1 specific surface area, and 5.2 × 10−4 cm3 g−1 pore volume. The presence of particular peaks referring to specific functional groups on spectroscopic spectra confirmed the successful polycondensation on the reticulated nanosponges. The pseudo second-order model (with R2 = 0.9998) and Langmuir isotherm (with R2 = 0.9979) was suitable for kinetics and isotherm using 180 min of contact time and a pH of 6.5. The maximum adsorption capacity was calculated at 112.2 mg/g. Finally, the recyclability of these nanosponges was 90.3% of paraquat removal after five regeneration times.

Characterizations and nitrate adsorption capacity of Amine-SiO2 material

Amine-SiO2 material (basically on silicon dioxide) was synthesized by the grafting method with triamine silane to form activated amine groups on the surface of SiO2 support and was applied as a novel adsorbent for nitrate removal from aqueous solution. The characterizations of Amine-SiO2 were determined by using TGA, FTIR, BET, SEM. Nitrate adsorption capacity and durability of Amine-SiO2 were compared with the anion exchange resin (Akualite A420 commercial). The results showed that Amine-SiO2 had high nitrate adsorption capacity, ~ 1.14 fold higher than the Akualite A420 ion exchange resin, based on the adsorption efficiency. This might be due to a strong affinity for nitrate ions of the activated amine groups on the surface of SiO2 support. In addition, the experimental results also proved that Amine-SiO2 material had good durability (stable performance after 10 regeneration times).

CHARACTERIZATION AND ADSORPTION CAPACITY OF AMINE-SIO2 MATERIAL FOR NITRATE AND PHOSPHATE REMOVAL

Amine-SiO2 material was synthesized and applied as a novel adsorbent for nitrate and phosphate removal from aqueous solution. The characterization of Amine-SiO2 were done by using TGA, FTIR, BET, and SEM analyses. Results showed that Amine-SiO2 had higher nitrate and phosphate adsorption capacity of 1.14 and 4.16 times, respectively, than commercial anion exchange resin (Akualite A420). In addition, Amine-SiO2 also had good durability with stable performance after at least 10 regeneration times, indicating that this material is very promising for commercialization in the future as an adsorbent for water treatment.

Nitrogen Nutrition in Dry Tropical Forest at Different Times of Regeneration

The management of forest species requires the quantification of various nutrients flows in the ecosystem. Specifically for N this aspect is even more important because many species in dry forests, as Brazilian Caatinga, are legumes and in symbiotic association with diazotrophic bacteria, fix N2 from the atmosphere. This study aimed to evaluate the N nutrition of forest species in Caatinga fragments with different regeneration times in the semi-arid region of Brazil. The study areas had different historical uses: the first one (53 ha) had no exploitation in the last 44 years; the second (32 ha) was in regeneration for 25 years; and the third (25 ha) had been in regeneration for five years. Four common tree species were evaluated in the three evaluated areas. Leaves were collected from each species to determine N contents. The legume species in the preserved area presented higher N content, decreasing with the regeneration time. The results showed a greater ecological balance in the most preserved sites, favoring the biological N fixation. N acquisition by legumes was not influenced by the disturbance of the site, suggesting the recommendation of these species as restorers of degraded areas.

The Time to Ruin in Some Additive Risk Models with Random Premium Rates

The risk processes considered in this paper are generated by an underlying Markov process with a regenerative structure and an independent sequence of independent and identically distributed claims. Between the arrivals of claims the process increases at a rate which is a nonnegative function of the present value of the Markov process. The intensity for a claim to occur is another nonnegative function of the value of the Markov process. The claim arrival times are the regeneration times for the Markov process. Two-sided claims are allowed, but the distribution of the positive claims is assumed to have a Laplace transform that is a rational function. The main results describe the joint Laplace transform of the time at ruin and the deficit at ruin. The method used consists in finding partial eigenfunctions for the generator of the joint process consisting of the Markov process and the accumulated claims process, a joint process which is also Markov. These partial eigenfunctions are then used to find a martingale that directly leads to an expression for the desired Laplace transform. In the final section, three examples are given involving different types of the underlying Markov process.

The Time to Ruin in Some Additive Risk Models with Random Premium Rates

The risk processes considered in this paper are generated by an underlying Markov process with a regenerative structure and an independent sequence of independent and identically distributed claims. Between the arrivals of claims the process increases at a rate which is a nonnegative function of the present value of the Markov process. The intensity for a claim to occur is another nonnegative function of the value of the Markov process. The claim arrival times are the regeneration times for the Markov process. Two-sided claims are allowed, but the distribution of the positive claims is assumed to have a Laplace transform that is a rational function. The main results describe the joint Laplace transform of the time at ruin and the deficit at ruin. The method used consists in finding partial eigenfunctions for the generator of the joint process consisting of the Markov process and the accumulated claims process, a joint process which is also Markov. These partial eigenfunctions are then used to find a martingale that directly leads to an expression for the desired Laplace transform. In the final section, three examples are given involving different types of the underlying Markov process.