Abstract
Water pollution by organic dyes represents a major health and environmental issue. Despite the fact that peptide-based hydrogels are considered to be optimal absorbents for removing such contaminants, hydrogel systems often suffer from a lack of mechanical stability and complex recovery. Recently, we developed an enzymatic approach for the preparation of a new peptide-based magnetogel containing polyacrylic acid-modified γ-Fe2O3 nanoparticles (γ-Fe2O3NPs) that showed the promising ability to remove cationic metal ions from aqueous phases. In the present work, we tested the ability of the magnetogel formulation to remove three model organic dyes: methyl orange, methylene blue, and rhodamine 6G. Three different hydrogel-based systems were studied, including: (1) Fmoc-Phe3 hydrogel; (2) γ-Fe2O3NPs dispersed in the peptide-based gel (Fe2O3NPs@gel); and (3) Fe2O3NPs@gel with the application of a magnetic field. The removal efficiencies of such adsorbents were evaluated using two different experimental set-ups, by placing the hydrogel sample inside cuvettes or, alternatively, by placing them inside syringes. The obtained peptide magnetogel formulation could represent a valuable and environmentally friendly alternative to currently employed adsorbents.
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Disclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.