4th Cycle Research Articles

Synthesis and characterization of Fe3O4@TiO2@Zeolite nanocomposite adsorbent for the removal of Levoflaxin antibiotic from environmental water matrices

AbstractThe presence of pharmaceuticals in water matrices has been a major problem because of its expected adverse consequences on oceanic biological systems and human well-being. Levofloxacin (Levo), a persistent and widely used antibiotic, has emerged as a significant pollutant in water samples. Its resistance to conventional water treatment processes poses challenges for its removal. This work focuses on preparing and characterizing a magnetic nanocomposite adsorbent (Fe3O4@TiO2@Zeolite) designed to efficiently remove levofloxacin from the water samples, leveraging the Fe₃O₄ properties for easy separation and recovery of the adsorbent, TiO2 for its adsorption capacity, while zeolite’s porous structure and high ion-exchange capacity improve adsorption efficiency. Together, these materials create a robust, multifunctional composite with promising applications for pollutant removal from aqueous environments. The adsorption of Levo antibiotic exhibited excellent fitting to both the pseudo-second-order model (R2 = 1) and the Langmuir isotherm (R2 = 0.9240) together with the Freundlich isotherm (R2 = 0.999). Furthermore, the thermodynamic analysis indicated that the adsorption process of Levo was spontaneous and endothermic. This implies that the interaction between Levo and the Fe3O4@TiO2@Zeolite nanocomposite, developed in this study, is favourable and requires energy input. The Fe3O4@TiO2@Zeolite nanocomposite demonstrated a promising efficacy in the removal of Levo from wastewater samples, with removal percentage ranging between 92.43 and 96.95%. The prepared Fe3O4@TiO2@Zeolite composite material could be regenerated up to the 5th cycle. This highlights the potential of the nanocomposite as an effective remedy for the purification of wastewater contaminated with Levo.

Experimental and modeling insights into the kinetics of calcium looping CO2 capture process: Assessment of limestone treatment

This investigation aimed to offer a precise and detailed understanding of the intricate mechanisms governing the rapid and diffusion stages of carbonation within the calcium looping process, while also exploring the effects of treatment on mineral limestone (Raw limestone) as the primary sorbent for CO2 capture. Two modified samples treated with acetic acid (Acidified limestone) and hydrophobic silica nanoparticles (Silica-mixed limestone), were analyzed to provide deeper insights into the kinetics of the slow and fast stages of the carbonation reaction. The Acidified limestone had a significant influence on the carbonation conversion rates of both the rapid and slow stages, resulting in a notable enhancement in conversion efficiency. Notably, the carbonation conversion rates in the 20th cycle were measured as 0.201, 0.348, and 0.231 for the Raw, Acidified, and Silica-mixed limestones, respectively. An increase in the number of reaction cycles led to an increased percentage contribution of the diffusion stage, a decrease in transition time and consequently, a reduction in the overall carbonation conversion rate. Specifically, the share percentage of carbonation conversion for the diffusion stage in the 20th cycle was determined as 31.55%, 34.88%, and 30.36% for the Raw, Acidified, and Silica-mixed limestones, respectively. The results obtained from the modeling application demonstrated a reduction in the maximum absolute error with an increase in the reaction cycles. Additionally, the prediction results indicated that the carbonation conversion rates for the Raw and Acidified limestones in the 100th cycle were determined to be 0.07 and 0.12, respectively.

Enhanced NiO-CaO-based multifunctional material pellets with Ce and La oxides on aluminosilicate support for sorption-enhanced chemical looping steam reforming of glycerol

Multifunctional materials in pellet form composed of NiO-CaO-based aluminosilicate support have been developed for hydrogen (H2) production via sorption-enhanced chemical looping steam glycerol reforming (SE-CL-SGR). The effect of CaO content (50–70 wt%) and an addition of promoter (CeO2 and La2O3) on material properties and H2 production performances were investigated. A good H2 production of 90 %v/v purity for 75 mins has been achieved from 15 wt% NiO, 70 wt% CaO, and 30 wt% aluminosilicate support (15Ni(70Ca.30S)) pellets. However, it totally showed a loss of CO2 adsorption ability by the 5th cycle as a formation of carbon caused the pellet cracking. Rare-earth oxides such as CeO2 and La2O3 have been incorporated into the structure to improve the mechanical properties. An addition of 5 wt% La2O3 (5La-15Ni(70Ca.30S)) provides superior H2 production performance to that with CeO2 and without rare-earth as 95 %v/v H2 purity can be constantly produced for 60 mins throughout five testing cycles. These enhancements indicate that the CeO2 and La2O3 modifications effectively improve the multifunctional material pellet performance and stability, making it suitable for large-scale hydrogen production applications.

Exploration on antifreeze potential of thawed drip enzymatic hydrolysates on myofibrillar proteins in pork patties during freeze-thaw cycles

This study explored using small molecular weight hydrolysates from enzymolyzed thawed drip as cryoprotectants to preserve myofibrillar protein quality in pork patties during freeze-thaw cycles. Hydrolysates were added at 0.36 %, 0.72 %, and 1.4 % concentrations, compared to a control with deionized water and a positive control with sorbitol and sucrose. Results indicated that thawed drip hydrolysates significantly reduced thawing loss and cooking loss. Moreover, the color deterioration during the 3rd and 6th freeze-thaw cycles was delayed. Myofibrillar protein denaturation and oxidation in the experimental groups were inhibited, shown by decreased surface hydrophobicity, reduced carbonyl groups and protein surface roughness, and increased free sulfhydryl groups, α-helix content, and protein particle height. The highest hydrolysate concentration (1.4 %) provided the most benefits, performing comparably to the positive control. Correlation analysis confirmed that hydrolysates enhanced both myofibrillar protein and pork quality, offering a promising approach to improve meat resilience against freeze-thaw conditions.

High-Performance Cathodes Prepared via Liquid-Phase Method and Catalyzed by Co9S8 for All-Solid-State Lithium-Sulfur batteries

While all-solid-state lithium batteries and lithium-sulfur batteries are two advanced systems beyond the current generation of lithium-ion batteries and have been extensively studied for years, their combination (i.e., all-solid-state lithium-sulfur batteries, ASSLSBs) is seldomly explored. This paper herein demonstrates the success of making high-performance lithium sulfide cathodes for ASSLSBs. The composite cathode consists of the active material Li2S, a sulfide solid electrolyte Li6PS5Cl, a conductive carbon Ketjen Black, and a catalyst Co9S8 nanoparticles. Its preparation has the following features: mixing precursors via a liquid-phase method, in situ making Li6PS5Cl via calcination, and adding Co9S8 in the liquid-phase stage. Owing to the presence of Co9S8 nanoparticles and the liquid-phase process for ensuring excellent solid–solid interfaces among electrode constituents, the maximum capacity of the obtained electrode with Li2S-loading of 2 mg/cm2 in Li-In|Li6PS5Cl|cathode batteries is enhanced by 0.8 times and the maintaining capacity at the 100th cycle by 4.3 times. With high loadings of 10 mg/cm2, the cathode achieves a high areal capacity of 6.4 mAh/cm2 at room temperature, equivalent to energy densities of 598 Wh/kg, and maintain the retention ratio of over 80 % after 100 cycles. At 60 ℃, ultrahigh areal capacities of 9.4 mAh/cm2 and 14.1 mAh/cm2 can be achieved, equivalent to energy densities of 872 Wh/kg and 653 Wh/kg. Moreover, the mechanistic studies reveal that Co9S8 catalyzes all Li2S and also expedites the conversion between Li2S ↔ S by suppressing the polysulfides intermediates. Thus, this work opens the door of making high-performance Li2S cathodes for developing practical ASSLSBs.

Reduced graphene oxide – CeO2 nanocomposites for photocatalytic dye degradation

Over the past few decades, the widespread use of dyes has led to considerable environmental pollution, posing serious threats to human health and ecosystems. In this context, here focus on a tailored nanocomposite comprising reduced graphene oxide (rGO) and cerium oxide (CeO2) to eradicate methylene blue (MB) dye. The fabrication process involves a facile synthesis wherein CeO2 nanoparticles are anchored onto rGO sheets through co-precipitation treatment by mixing a precursor salt of cerium with graphene oxide (GO) in presence of reducing agent. The resulting nanocomposites were characterized using X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis which confirms the crystallite size of CeO2 and rGO-CeO2 determined to be 21.61 nm and 10.74 nm respectively. Further FE-SEM analysis vividly illustrates the relatively spherical form of CeO2, which is dispersed on the rGO surface and energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX) results provide clear evidence of the presence of carbon, cerium and oxygen in the composite. Additionally, Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) confirms the composition of the rGO-CeO2 nanocomposites demonstrating the existence of various oxygen-containing groups, including O–H, C=O and Ce–O bonds. Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) highlights that the rGO-CeO2 nanocomposites exhibits higher thermal stability with only 21.88 % weight loss up to 400 °C. Moreover, the photocatalytic activity of rGO-CeO2 nanocomposite exhibits a remarkable 94.92 % degradation of MB dye within 80 min under optimal conditions of UV light irradiation (λ = 254 nm), with a catalyst dosage of 7 mg in a 20 ppm of MB dye solution at pH 9. In contrast, pristine rGO and CeO2 achieved only 32.27 % and 38.48 % in 100 and 90 min respectively. The kinetics of photocatalysis process were meticulously studied and revealed that they followed pseudo-second order kinetic model suggesting chemisorption of MB dye onto nanocomposites prior to degradation. The stability of the nanocomposite was assessed under optimal conditions, demonstrating robust MB degradation (78 %) even up to the 4th cycle. Overall, the successful outcomes of this study show significant potential for degrading MB dye in wastewater by using the rGO-CeO2 nanocomposite.

Adsorption, antibacterial and molecular dynamic studies of bentonite clay–gemini (Bt–16-4-16) hybrid material

This work reports the preparation of a novel hybrid material, integrating a gemini surfactant, butane-1,4-bis(hexadecyldimethylammonium) dibromide, 16-4-16, into bentonite clay (raw Bt), which possessed the ability to remove tartrazine dye (TD) from aqueous solutions. The Bt-16-4-16 hybrid material was characterized through FT-IR, XRD, SEM, EDX, and BET. The results were further compared with previously reported Bt–16-3-16 hybrid material (prepared using propane-1,3-bis(hexadecyldimethylammonium) dibromide, 16-3-16, gemini surfactant). The Bt-16-4-16 and Bt–16-3-16 demonstrated around 97–98 % removal efficiency towards TD under specific experimental conditions examined ([TD] = 10 mg L−1, [adsorbent] = 2 g L−1, pH = 3, equilibrium time = 60 min, temperature = 298.15 K). With the rise in [TD] (from 1 to 100 mg L−1), the hybrid materials showed a prominent rise in adsorption capacity from 0.51 to 44.36 mg g−1 for Bt-16-4-16 and 0.50 to 42.61 mg g−1 for Bt-16-3-16. The efficiency of Bt–16-4-16 and Bt-16-3-16 in the removal of TD was not influenced much by the presence of various cations (Mg2+, Ca2+, Ni2+, Cu2+) and anions (EDTA, sulphate, HCO3¯and SO42−). The presence of 0.1 M NaCl caused a 0.05 % and 1.43 % decrease in the removal efficiency of Bt-16-4-16 and Bt-16-3-16, respectively. The results followed pseudo-second-order adsorption kinetics and agreed with the Freundlich isotherm. The Bt-16-4-16 and Bt-16-3-16 achieved maximum adsorption capacities of 128.7 and 117.8 mg g−1 against TD. The adsorption thermodynamics revealed that the process at the adsorbent's solid-liquid interfaces is entropy-driven, spontaneous, and endothermic. Both Bt-16-4-16 and Bt-16-3-16 were found to be reusable even after the 5th cycle. The Bt–16-4-16 showed a strong affinity towards TD and quickly reached maximum adsorption capacity at a relatively low fugacity of ≤15 kPa. Further, the antibacterial property of Bt-16-4-16 and Bt-16-3-16 was also tested.

MOF incorporated Polyethersulfone/Polylactic Acid ultrafiltration membranes for the catalytic removal of dyes via persulfate activation

This study synthesized novel nanocellulose/zeolitic Imidazolate Framework nanocomposite blended Polyethersulfone/Polylactic Acid (PES/PLA-CNF@ZIF-8) membranes through a modified phase inversion process. This is the first time that a nanocellulose-MOF composite catalytic nanomaterial has been synthesized and used as an additive in polymeric membranes. The morphology and chemical structure of the membranes and nanoparticles were characterised by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), atomic force microscopy (AFM) and Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) respectively. Membrane wettability and crystalline structure were characterised by contact angle, and X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis respectively. CNF@ZIF-8 modified membranes showed improved contact angle which decreased from 76° in the pristine membranes to 40° in 2 wt% membranes, bulk porosity increased from 74.3.3 % to 81.06 % while the pure water flux increased from 208.30 Lm-2h−1 to 348.73 Lm-2h−1. Further, the modified membranes showed an increase in surface roughness reaching 84.14 nm in 2 wt% membranes. The synthesized membranes have been used as catalysts in the activation of persulfate to degrade Rhodamine B dye. The modified membranes displayed a high catalytic effect (>90 %) in activating persulfate to degrade RhB dye when compared to pristine membranes which showed a degradation efficiency of < 35 %. The study found that the optimum parameters for pH, membrane (catalyst) dosage, oxidant and initial dye concentration were 5, 0.3 g, 0.4 mM and 10 ppm respectively. Quenching experiments showed that •SO4- and •OH radicals were responsible for the dye degradation, with •SO4- radicals playing a major role in the oxidative degradation of the RhB dye. The synthesized membranes showed good stability when tested within five cycles, with the membranes showing degradation efficiency ranging from 92.1 % in the 1st cycle to 91.9 % in the 3rd cycle, before decreasing to 75.3 % in the 5th cycle. This study has therefore shown that the synthesized PES/PLA-CNF@ZIF-8 membranes have potential for use as catalysts in the degradation of cationic dyes in wastewater treatment through persulfate activation.

Experimental study on creep characteristics of electrolyte-bearing salt rock under long-term triaxial cyclic loading

During the operation of the Salt Cavern Flow Battery (SCFB) system, the rock surrounding a salt cavern is subjected to erosion by the electrolyte. To study the creep characteristics of electrolyte-bearing salt rock under long-term triaxial cyclic loading in SCFB, a triaxial creep experiment with a cycle period of 1 day was conducted. The results indicated that, when not subjected to failure, the axial stress-strain curve of electrolyte-bearing sample undergoes only two phases of “sparse-dense”, entering dense phase approximately 4 cycles earlier than that of sample without electrolyte. Under the same stress conditions, the strain generated in electrolyte-bearing salt rock surpasses that of sample without electrolyte, demonstrating an initial rapid increase followed by a gradual stabilization trend. The stress-strain curve of electrolyte-bearing sample in a single cycle can be divided into six stages. The number of cycles has almost no effect on the axial strain in stages I, IV, V and VI, and the axial strain in stages IV and VI is basically 0. Additionally, the elastic deformation generated in stage I is basically recovered in stage V. The strain in stage II gradually decreases and disappears in the 4th cycle, which is 13 cycles earlier than that of the sample without electrolyte. The creep rate of electrolyte-bearing sample shows a trend of “gradual decrease—basically stabilization” as the number of cycles increases, and the creep experiment contains only the decay creep stage and steady creep stage. Irreversible deformation of electrolyte-bearing sample exhibits a gradual decrease followed by stabilization with increasing number of cycles. The research findings hold significant implications for the stability analysis of SCFB systems.

Synergistic Effects in MoS2/Co3O4/Cu2O Nanocomposites for Superior Solar Cell and Photodegradation Efficiency

Herein, we synthesized a Cu2O and Co3O4 incorporation with MoS2 to produce MoS2/Co3O4/Cu2O nanocomposites by facile sonication assisted hydrothermal methods. The phase structure and elemental composition of MoS2/Co3O4/Cu2O nanocomposites were investigated using X-ray diffraction (XRD) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) techniques. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) morphology studies confirm that MoS2/Co3O4 nanostructure self-assembles in a mixed nanosheet configuration after the introduction of Cu2O. The synthesized samples were used as new types of Pt-free counter electrodes (CE) for DSSCs. Among all, the DSSCs based on the MoS2/Co3O4/Cu2O CE yields a maximum power conversion efficiency of 3.68% (Jsc = 8.2mAcm-2, Voc = 0.71mV and FF = 0.629%) under the standard AM 1.5G illumination, which is 2.5 times higher than that of pure MoS2. To assess the photocatalytic activity, prepared samples were used to suppress methylene blue (MB) and rhodamine B (RhB) dye under UV-visible light irradiation. The MoS2/Co3O4/Cu2O nanocomposites had the highest photocatalytic degradation efficiency of all the samples. It increased degradation efficiency from 43% to 91% for MB dye after 100minutes, and from 47% to 92% for RhB dye after 90minutes. Scavengers test analysis proved that the superoxide radical (•O2-) play a major role in the MoS2/Co3O4/Cu2O photocatalytic system. After four consecutive photocatalytic cycles, the crystal structure and surface morphology of the MoS2/Co3O4/Cu2O nanocomposites used in the 4th cycle were more stable, and this was confirmed by SEM, EDAX and XRD studies. The broader significance of these findings provides a straightforward approach for synthesizing a low-cost and high-efficiency MoS2/Co3O4/Cu2O nanocomposite for CE in DSSC photovoltaic cells and facilitates organic pollutant removal through photocatalytic applications.

Experimental Study on the Bending Mechanical Properties of Socket-Type Concrete Pipe Joints

In modern infrastructure construction, the socket joint of concrete pipelines is a critical component in ensuring the overall stability and safety of the pipeline system. This study conducted monotonic and cyclic bending loading tests on DN300 concrete pipeline socket joints to thoroughly analyse their bending mechanical properties. The experimental results indicated that during monotonic loading, the relationship between the joint angle and bending moment exhibited nonlinear growth, with the stress state of the socket joint transitioning from the initial contact between the rubber ring and the socket to the eventual contact between the spigot and socket concrete. During the cyclic loading phase, the accumulated joint angle, secant stiffness, and bending stiffness of the pipeline interface significantly increased within the first 1 to 7 cycles and stabilised between the 8th and 40th cycles. After 40 cycles of loading, the bending stiffness of the joint reached 1.5 kN·m2, while the stiffness of the pipeline was approximately 8500 times that of the joint. Additionally, a finite element model for the monotonic loading of the concrete pipeline socket joint was established, and the simulation results showed good agreement with the experimental data, providing a reliable basis for further simulation and analysis of the joint’s mechanical performance under higher loads. This study fills the gap in research on the mechanical properties of concrete pipeline socket joints, particularly under bending loads, and offers valuable references for related engineering applications.

Deranged cytokine levels are linked to cancer-related cognitive impairment in lymphoma patients receiving R-CHOP chemotherapy

Cancer-related cognitive impairment (CRCI) is a significant issue commonly observed following chemotherapy treatment. The study aimed to investigate the changes in cognitive function and their association with IL-6, IL-1β, and IL-10 levels before and after R-CHOP chemotherapy over six cycles. Seventy chemotherapy naïve, newly diagnosed lymphoma patients were enrolled. Cognitive functions and inflammatory cytokines were assessed at baseline (TP1), after 3rd cycle (TP2), and after 6th cycle (TP3). Patients, with mean age of 44.17 ± 13.67 years, showed significantly increased levels of IL-6 and IL-1β and decreased IL-10 levels over time (p < .001). On the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA), scores of domains such as executive functioning (p = .002), attention (p < .001), language (p < .001), recall (p = .005), and orientation (p < .001) significantly decreased post six cycles of R-CHOP chemotherapy. Correlation analysis at TP2 indicated a positive association between elevated IL-6 levels with a decrease in MoCA scores indicating a decline in cognitive function (ρ = 0.68, p < .001). At TP3, no association of MoCA scores with IL-6 and IL-1β was observed. Decreased IL-10 levels showed a weak association with decreased MoCA scores at TP2 and TP3 ( ρ = 0.2, p = .09; for TP3, ρ = 0.16, p = .17), but this was not significant. In summary, the findings of the present study highlight significant cognitive decline and changes in inflammatory cytokine levels following six cycles of R-CHOP. Objective cognitive assessments may be done to detect CRCI in patients treated with R-CHOP.

Linking dolomitization to sequence stratigraphy: Insights from the Upper Jurassic Arab Formation, offshore oilfield, UAE

This petrographic, petrophysical, and geochemical study revealed that dolomitization in the Upper Jurassic Arab Formation reservoir, United Arab Emirates, can be constrained within 2nd, 3rd, and 4th order sequences. The formation represents a 2nd order regressive sequence/cycle (highstand systems tracts, HST) that was deposited across a carbonate ramp with shoal under hot arid climatic conditions during the Kimmeridgian-Tithonian. Deposition occurred subsequent to maximum marine transgression (maximum flooding surface, MFS) and was accompanied by a progressive increase in the degree of restriction of the connectivity between the inner platform (supratidal, upper intertidal and lagoon) and the open sea. Sporadic dolomitization took place in transgressive systems tracts (TST) of the 3rd and 4th order cycles of earliest stages of the 2nd order regression, below the parasequence boundaries and within bioturbation sites. Subsequent rapid and extended 2nd order marine regression cycles were embossed by trends of progressive increase in salinity, which resulted in concomitant systematic decrease in limestone deposition and increase in intensity of seepage reflux/sabkha dolomitization by seepage reflux of hypersaline brines. Dolomitization is most prevalent in the 4th order HST sequences and was accompanied by occlusion of the moldic and intercrystalline pores in the dolostones by gypsum/anhydrite cement. Dolomitization that was accompanied by limited formation of gypsum/anhydrite in the late 2nd order HST is attributed to reflux of penesaline (salinity saturated with Ca-sulfate) /mesohaline (below Ca-sulfate saturation) brines. The reflux of the latter brines is attributed to smaller extent of relative sea-level falls, i.e., partial restriction of the inner platform. The precipitation of dolomite cement in moldic pores and as thin overgrowths around replacive dolomite is attributed to the flow hot basinal brines (i.e., hydrothermal fluids). This interpretation is supported by the presence of saddle dolomite, along with depleted δ18O values, relative enrichment in 87Sr isotope, and high fluid-inclusions homogenization temperatures. The greater amounts of these post-dolomitization cements in the dolopackstones and dolograinstones caused stronger obliteration of their near-surface isotopic signatures compared to the dolomudstones and dolowackestones.This study demonstrates that linking dolomitization of limestones across carbonate ramps under hot-arid climatic conditions to different orders of changes in the relative sea level and lithology of the succession indicates the involvement of various types of dolomitizing fluids and geochemical conditions, including: (i) domination of seepage reflux of hypersaline and mesohaline/penesaline brines, (ii) dolomitization below the seafloor during marine transgression, and (iii) dolomitization within bioturbation sites.

Effect of substrate concentration on sulfamethoxazole wastewater treatment by osmotic microbial fuel cell: Insight into operational efficiency, dynamic changes of membrane fouling and microbial response

To solve the problems of antibiotic pollution, water resources and energy shortage, an osmotic microbial fuel cell (OsMFC) was adopted innovatively to treat antibiotic wastewater containing sulfamethoxazole (SMX), and achieved SMX removal, water production and electricity generation. Substrate concentration was one of the key factors affecting the performances of OsMFC, but there were few relevant studies This study explored the effect of substrate concentration on system performances, clarified the dynamic changes of membrane fouling under different substrate concentrations, and further revealed the response of microbial communities. The results showed that the stable removal efficiency of SMX exceeded 98.8 % due to the efficient interception of forward osmosis (FO) membrane. Compared with the 1.0 g/L NaAc system, the SMX degradation efficiency and maximum output voltage in the 2.0 g/L NaAc system were only increased by 3.9 % and 6.3 %, respectively. However, the initial water flux decreased by 30.1 % in the 7th cycle due to more serious FO membrane fouling. In addition, there were significant differences in the dynamic formation process of FO membrane fouling. Higher substrate concentration increased the relative abundance of Desulfobacterota and Geobacter. Functional prediction analysis showed that increasing substrate concentration promoted carbohydrate metabolism pathways and relative abundance of sulfur respiration functional groups, thereby improving COD and SMX removal rates. However, the biosynthesis of other secondary metabolites was significantly improved, resulting in increased contents of EPS and SMP, which aggravated membrane fouling. Overall, the system performed better when the substrate concentration was 1.0 g/L. This study would provide certain guidance for the performance optimization and membrane fouling mitigation of OsMFC, thereby promoting its practical application in antibiotic wastewater treatment.

Hydrodynamic Fluidic Pump Empowered Sensitive Recognition and Active Transport of Hydrogen Peroxide in 1D Channels.

Through synthetic chemistry, the development of molecular devices for the precise selective recognition and active transport of small molecules stands as one of the most ambitious objectives in extensive medical, environmental, and biological applications. The periodical channels of the metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) with excellent chemical affinity offer vast regulatory space for reaching this goal. Herein, by post-modifying fluorescent probes and ionic liquid molecules into the Zr-MOFs (NU-1000), a donor-acceptor (D-A) system within the periodical 1D channels is created to construct a hydrodynamic fluidic pump within the abundant 1D channels. Irradiation with light serves to initiate and direct fluid motion, expediting the transport of H2O2 molecules to the active site, thus boosting the sensor sensitivity through gas enrichment. The rapid mass transfer, characterized by a high flow rate and intensified interaction between the D-A system and H2O2 molecules, enables the detection of H2O2 at concentrations as low as 20 ppb. Besides, with the aid of incident light, the pump system exhibits active transport characteristics by transporting radicals derived from H2O2 against a concentration gradient, reaching a remarkable 10th cycle. The strategy of achieving active transport of small molecules through pore modification holds promise for advancing the development of artificial bioactive channels.

Chitosan impregnated sugarcane bagasse biochar for removal of anionic dyes from wastewater

Wastewater treatment is of utmost importance in providing all equitable and safe drinking water. In the present study, a chitosan impregnated sugarcane bagasse biochar SCNC biocomposite has been synthesized for the removal of Congo red (CR) dye from an aqueous solution. The SCNC biocomposite was thoroughly characterized through Brunauer, Emmett and Teller (BET) and N2 adsorption isotherm, point of zero charge (pHPZC), elemental analysis, Scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) analysis. Moreover, SCNC biocomposite was further employed to remove CR dye from the aqueous solution in batch mode. The SCNC biocomposite could remove more than 95.0% of CR at an initial concentration of (100mgL− 1), adsorbent dosage (0.05 g), time (200 min), pH ~ 3. The SCNC biocomposite achieved maximum adsorption capacity of 170mgg− 1. The equilibrium adsorption data for CR dye were best fitted to the Langmuir isotherm model with R2, 0.999. The kinetic and isotherm were statistically investigated using the chi-square statistic (χ2 ), mean square error (MSE), and the sum of squares error (SSE) Because of the higher correlation coefficient (R2 ≥ 0.999) and lower error functions, the equilibrium CR adsorption isotherms for a single-dye system fit Langmuir and the PSO kinetic model. The thermodynamic studies revealed the spontaneous and endothermic nature of adsorption of CR dye onto SCNC biocomposite. The SCNC biocomposite can be regenerated up to the 5th cycle successfully. The mechanism of CR adsorption onto SCNC was elucidated.

Regulation of electron delocalization on porous carbon/manganese-iron oxide for enhancing nonradical processes of sulfamethoxazole: Oxidation pathway and mechanism

Transition metal oxide defect engineering can regulate the electronic properties of materials, thereby realizing nonradical reactions during catalytic processes. In this study, porous carbon/manganese-iron oxide (PC@MFO) composites with different Mn/Fe ratios were prepared via in-situ encapsulation strategy. PC@MFO exhibited superior catalytic degradation and stable recycling performance during peroxymonosulfate (PMS) activation to degrade sulfamethoxazole (SMX). After 10 min of reaction, >92 % of SMX was rapidly degraded, with high selectivity, through oxidative SMX removal from a complex aqueous solution. The kinetics of SMX degradation over different as-prepared samples were also investigated. A recycling study and regeneration treatment revealed no clear deactivation between the 1st and 6th cycles, suggesting that PC@MFO is a reusable heterogeneous catalyst for utilization in efficient oxidative SMX removal. Multiple characterization techniques and density functional theory calculations were used to study the mechanism of SMX degradation process. Nonradical oxidation was found to be the dominant reaction in the catalytic reaction, leading to SMX degradation. This was possibly due to the highly conjugated electron delocalization induced by Mn-Fe in the O-octahedra close to the oxygen vacancies, promoting rapid charge transfer and interfacial reaction kinetics. This study expands the understanding for the activation mechanism driven by Mn-Fe spinel oxides in deep-water treatment.

Fe3O4 nanoparticles decorated on N-doped graphene oxide nanosheets for elimination of heavy metals from industrial wastewater and desulfurization

Finding an effective and excellent pertinent single catalyst material for multipurpose application for the purification of hydrocarbons in fuels (desulfurization), and for efficient removal of heavy metals from industrial effluent is greatly endowed. In the present work, a hybrid nanocomposite of ultrafine magnetite (Fe3O4) nanoparticle embedded on the surface of in-situ nitrogen doped layered GO (NGO) sheets were fabricated by sol-gel method and treatment with microwave irradiation technique is reported for the first time. The results show a high removal efficiency of 97 % for multiple heavy metals (Pb2+, Cd2+, Cu2+, Cr+2, Mn+2etc.) in industrial effluent and as well as in synthetic water with a very good retention performance of 99 %. The composites were tested against the elimination of sulfur from thiophene is 1.495 mmol g−1 is reported high is due to coupling and coordination of nitrogen with FeO and C. Recycling studies showed that the developed composites had excellent recyclability, with <82 % removal at the 5th cycle; its feasibility was evaluated using industrial effluent water and in synthetic water. Surface phenomena studies presented here revealed that the adsorptive removal processes of heavy metals involved π electron donor-acceptor interactions, ion exchange, and electrostatic interactions, along with surface complexation that showed an excellent synergism. A high stability, and retention performance is better than the pure Fe3O4 and NGO sheets. We hope that this study will motivate and give further scope for scientists working on magnetite-based graphene nanocomposites.

Extraction of diclofenac and tetracycline from simulated aqueous wastewater using ionic liquids as carriers by pseudo-emulsion hollow fiber strip dispersion

Diclofenac (DCF) and Tetracycline (TC) are used as non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAID) and antibiotics, respectively. Both these drugs, when released into the environment through various routes, cause adverse effects on aquatic life and humans. The traditional approaches employed for the removal of these drugs have various drawbacks and adverse effects on the environment. The present work gives a deeper insight into the potential application of ionic liquids as carriers in the pseudo-emulsion hollow fiber strip dispersion (PEHFSD) technique for removing these compounds from the simulated aqueous solution. The extraction of DCF and TC was performed using different organic carriers, Di-(2-ethylhexyl)phosphoric acid (D2EHPA), Tributyl phosphate (TBP), Trioctyl amine (TOA), and also using ionic liquids, 1-Ethyl-3-methylimidazolium Bis(trifluoromethanesulfonyl)imide ([EMIM][[TFSI]), 1-Butyl-1-methylpyrrolidinium Bis(trifluoromethanesulfonyl)imide ([BMPy][[TFSI]) and 1-Octyl-3-methylimidazolium Hexafluorophosphate ([OMIM][PF6]). Comparing the performance of all carriers, it was found that [OMIM][PF6] showed 100 % extraction of DCF, while for TC, the maximum extraction obtained was 91.85 %. Effective extraction of DCF and TC up to the 4th cycle indicated the stability of the membrane phase inside the micropore. Membrane phase and pseudo-emulsion are also characterized by FTIR, micrograph images and Turbiscan. A recyclability study of pseudo-emulsion showed that with the increase in the number of cycles for extraction, the stripping phase was gradually saturated by extracting feed (DCF/TC), which led to a drop in extraction efficiency.

Remaining Service Life Prediction of Lithium-Ion Batteries Based on Randomly Perturbed Traceless Particle Filtering

To address the limitations in the prediction accuracy of the remaining useful life (RUL) of lithium-ion batteries, stemming from model accuracy, particle degradation, and insufficient diversity in the particle filter (PF) algorithm, this paper proposes a battery RUL prediction method utilizing a randomly perturbed unscented particle filter (RP-UPF) algorithm, based on the constructed battery capacity degradation model. The method utilizes evaluation metrics adjusted R-squared (Radj2) and the Akaike Information Criterion (AIC) to select the battery capacity decline model C5 with a higher goodness of fit. The initial values for constructing the C5 model are obtained using the relevance vector machine (RVM) and nonlinear least squares methods. Based on the constructed battery capacity decline model C5, the RP-UPF algorithm is employed to estimate the posterior parameters and iteratively approach the true battery capacity decline curve, thereby predicting the battery’s RUL. The research results indicate that, using battery B0005 as an example and starting the prediction from the 50th cycle, the RUL prediction results obtained with the RP-UPF algorithm demonstrate reductions in absolute error, relative error, and probability density function (PDF) width of 2%, 2.71%, and 10%, respectively, compared to the PF algorithm. Similar conclusions were drawn for batteries B0006 and B0018. Under the constructed battery capacity degradation model C5, the RP-UPF algorithm shows higher prediction accuracy for battery RUL and a narrower PDF range compared to the PF algorithm. This approach effectively addresses the issue of particle weight degradation in the PF algorithm, providing a more valuable reference for battery RUL prediction.