Acetaminophen Research Articles

Mn-Cu co-doped graphitic carbon nitride accelerates permonosulfate to generate more singlet oxygen in pollutant degradation

Graphitic carbon nitride (g-C3N4), a nitrogen-rich polymeric semiconductor, has gained significant attention as a photocatalyst. However, its potential to activate permonosulfate (PMS) has been somewhat limited. Prior research has demonstrated that manganese-doped g-C3N4 can effectively activate PMS to degrade pollutants, with Mn3+ playing a pivotal role. Consequently, enhancing the Mn3+ content within the system is of paramount importance. In this study, we developed a novel class of manganese‑copper doped g-C3N4 materials using a hydrothermal-calcination process. The optimized material, denoted as Mn5Cu5-CN, was synthesized at a Mn/Cu molar ratio of 1:1. When applied to degrade a model contaminant, acetaminophen (ACP), the Mn5Cu5-CN/PMS system demonstrated remarkable efficiency, degrading nearly 20 mg/L of ACP within 30 min (material dosage = 0.4 g/L, PMS concentration = 2.0 mM). The Mn5Cu5-CN exhibited favourable performance across a broad pH range. Singlet oxygen (1O2) was identified as a major player in the degradation of ACP. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) analyses revealed that the cyclic redox reactions of Mn3+/Mn4+ and Cu+/Cu2+ led to the abundant generation of 1O2. Superoxide (O2•-) was identified as an important intermediate product in these processes. Additionally, the g-C3N4 present in the material also facilitated the generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS). This study provides a fresh perspective on the utilization of g-C3N4 for pollutant degradation, highlighting the potential of MnCu doped g-C3N4 materials in environmental remediation.

Ultra-Sensitive Simultaneous Detection of Dopamine and Acetaminophen over Hollow Porous AuAg Alloy Nanospheres.

Hollow porous AuAg nanospheres (AuAg HPNSs) were obtained through a simple solvothermal synthesis, complemented by a dealloying strategy. The hollow interior, open pore voids, and integral interconnected skeleton shell in AuAg HPNSs are beneficial for providing sufficient electrolyte diffusion and contacts, abundant active sites, and efficient electron transport. This specific structure and the favorable alloy synergism contribute to the superior electrocatalytic activity toward dopamine (DA) and acetaminophen (AC). AuAg HPNSs show high sensitivity, good selectivity, excellent sensing durability, and outstanding repeatability for amperometric assays of AC and DA. In particular, the AuAg-based sensors achieve effective ultrasensitive simultaneous analyses of AC and DA, exhibiting the characteristics of the wide linear range and low detection limit. With their prominent electrocatalytic activity and simple preparation methods, AuAg HPNSs present broad application prospects for constructing a highly responsive electrochemical sensing system.

Electrochemical sensor based on ZIF-8/67 derived ZnCo2O4@Fe3O4/MWCNTs with core–shell structure for simultaneous detection of paraminophen and paracetamol

As para-aminophenol (PAP) is toxic to humans, causing skin irritation, eye damage, and central nervous system depression, and it can form as a degradation product of paracetamol (PAT) under certain conditions, the simultaneous determination of PAP and PAT is crucial. This work presents the fabrication of three-dimensional ZnCo2O4@Fe3O4/MWCNTs hybrid for the simultaneous determination of PAP and PAT using ZIF-8/67@Fe3O4 as precursor and MWCNTs as conductive substrate. The ZnCo2O4@Fe3O4/MWCNTs/GCE sensor exhibits linear ranges 1.0–150.0 μM with detection limits of 0.033 μM and 0.018 μM for PAP and PAT, respectively. The developed sensor was successfully used for the determination of PAP and PAT in acetaminophen tablets and lake water with satisfactory results.

Simultaneously determining dopamine, acetaminophen and chlorpromazine with high performance on coordinated functional acupuncture needle electrode

Developing fast and sensitive methods to simultaneously analyze neurotransmitter and drug is of scientific significance for diagnosing and treating neurological diseases. Acupuncture can adjust and balance the blood gas, yin and yang and other physiological states through inserting acupuncture needle into the patient’s body, so as to treat diseases, care health and strengthen body. In this study, the stainless-steel needle was used as electrode matrix for the sensor. Gold nanoparticles (Au NPs), polydopamine (PDA) and multi-wall carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) were layer-by-layer modified onto the bare acupuncture needle (AN) through green and environment-friendly method, and the new interface showed efficient performance for simultaneous monitoring dopamine (DA), acetaminophen (AC) and chlorpromazine (CPZ). It was interesting that the synergistic interface of MWCNTs, PDA and AuNPs exhibits effect conductivity, and high electrocatalytic activity for three molecules. The sensor optimally exhibits wide linear ranges of 0.08–100 and 100–1000 μM for DA, 0.07–100 and 100–1000 μM for AC, 0.1–100 and 100–450 μM for CPZ, respectively. The low detection limits are 0.015, 0.012, and 0.022 µM correspondingly, which are competitively compared to previous reports. In addition, the sensor exhibits good anti-interference ability in the presence of excessive interference. The sensor can successfully monitor DA, AC and CPZ in human serum and urine with the recovery rates from 97.2 % to 102.6 %. The sensor showed good repeatability, stability, and reproducibility. The simultaneous detection of needlelike sensor should play important roles in biomedicine.

Stearic acid-coated plasmonic Ag nanoparticles as a dual catalyst for enhanced NiO chemo and photo catalysis

The phenomenon of Localized Surface Plasmon Resonance (LSPR) in plasmonic metal nanoparticles causes a strong absorption of visible light and leads to the generation of hot electrons on the surface and the creation of localized electromagnetic fields near the surface. This characteristic enhances the catalytic performance of a plasmonic metal Ag–NiO nanocomposite (NiO-SNP) when exposed to low-flux visible light irradiation. The NiO-SNP was synthesized using a simple and cost-effective ultrasonication method. Its structural, morphological, and optical properties were analyzed, confirming the formation of nanocomposites. The proximity of stearic acid-coated Ag nanoparticles (SNP) acts as visible light-harvesting antennas, promoting NiO's activity for effectively reducing paracetamol (PM) drugs. The improved catalytic property is attributed to an electron relay effect, while the strong electromagnetic fields generated by irradiated Ag nanoparticles facilitate the concentration of PM molecules at active sites, leading to accelerated reaction rates. NiO-SNP2 demonstrates remarkable PM degradation: 97 % in tap water and 82.6 % in deionized water within 10 min, demonstrating its catalytic effectiveness. The plasmonic SNP mechanism in NiO-SNP1 nanocomposites enhances photocatalytic efficiency by up to 90 %, owing to efficient charge separation and transfer, resulting in a notable 1.5-fold increase in PM degradation. The degradation kinetics follow a pseudo-first-order model, with rate constants (k) ranging from approximately 0.059 to 0.6104 min⁻1, underscoring the crucial role of Ag nanoparticles in enhancing photocatalytic activity and degradation efficiency. Catalysis and visible light photocatalysis are significantly improved with increasing concentrations of NiO and SNP, respectively. This research could inspire a new approach to transforming traditional metal catalysis into plasmonic-metal catalysis.

Grape seeds waste activated carbon as an adsorber of paracetamol drug residue: Experimental and theoretical approaches

Activated carbon (AC) derived from grape seeds wastes and chemically activated with phosphoric acid was employed to remove paracetamol (PCT); from an aqueous solution; as a pharmaceutical compound model. The AC was characterized using several techniques, and a series of batch adsorption experiments were conducted. Additionally, a theoretical study investigated the interactions of PCT with various functional groups present on the AC surface. The results demonstrated that the developed AC possessed a well-developed pore structure and a high specific surface area (SBET = 543 m2/g). The AC also exhibited an acidic surface and a low pHpzc (2.5). Adsorption experiments revealed that the pseudo-second-order (PSO) and Freundlich models provided the best fits for experimental kinetic and equilibrium data, respectively. The maximum adsorption capacity of AC for PCT was found to be 17.3 mg/g. Thermodynamic analysis suggested endothermic, favorable, and spontaneous adsorption; with low enthalpy values (ΔH° = 8.099 kJ/mol), supporting physisorption. The DLPNO-CCDT(T)/6-311G(d,p) calculation method yielded the most reliable adsorption energy (Eads) and Gibbs free energy (ΔGads) values between PCT and functional groups on the carbon surface, indicating strong interactions between the acid phosphate group of AC and the acetamide fragment of PCT (ΔGads = −7.60 kcal/mol), and strong interactions between the ketone groups and lactone cycles with the hydroxyl (ΔGads = −3.40 kcal/mol), and acetamide (ΔGads = −1.91 kcal/mol) groups of PCT, respectively. The obtained results indicated, first, that the use of activated carbon from waste is an effective alternative adsorbent for the treatment of wastewater containing pharmaceutical compounds. Second, the application of theoretical computational methods in quantum chemistry provides a thorough understanding of the mechanism of the absorption of PCT at the carbon surface.

Binder-free and efficient voltammetric sensor based on Zn-Ca2CuO3 nanoparticles for simultaneous determination of amlodipine, acetaminophen, and ascorbic acid in hypertension patients.

Amlodipine (AM) is a long active calcium channel blocker used to relax blood vessels by preventing calcium ion transport into the vascular walls and its supporting molecules acetaminophen (AP) and ascorbic acid (AA) are recommended for hypertension control and prevention. Considering their therapeutic importance and potential side effects due to over dosage, we have fabricated a sensor for individual and simultaneous determination of AA, AP, and AM in pharmaceuticals and human urine using novel Zn-doped Ca2CuO3 nanoparticles modified glassy carbon electrode (GCE). Optimally doped Ca2CuO3 (2.5 wt% Zn at Cu site) enhanced the detection of target molecules over much wider concentration ranges of 50 to 3130 µM for AA, 0.25 to 417 µM for AP, and 0.8 to 354 µM for AM with the corresponding lowest detection limits of 14 µM, 0.05 µM, and 0.07 µM, respectively. Furthermore, the Zn-Ca2CuO3/GCE exhibited excellent selectivity and high sensitivity even in the presence of several potential interfering agents. The usefulness of the developed electrode was tested using an amlodipine besylate tablet and urine samples of seven hypertension patients under medication. The results confirmed the presence of a significant amount of AP and AM in six patients' urine samples indicating that the personalized medication is essential and the quantum of medication need to be fixed by knowing the excess medicines excreted through urine. Thus, the Zn-Ca2CuO3/GCE with a high recovery percentage and good sensitivity shall be useful in the pharmaceutical and biomedical sectors.

Proving the automatic benchtop electrochemical station for the development of dopamine and paracetamol sensors

The introduced work represents an implementation of the automatic benchtop electrochemical station (BES) as an effective tool for the possibilities of high-throughput preparation of modified sensor/biosensors, speeding up the development of the analytical method, and automation of the analytical procedure for the determination of paracetamol (PAR) and dopamine (DOP) as target analytes. Within the preparation of gold nanoparticles modified screen-printed carbon electrode (AuNPs-SPCE) by electrodeposition, the deposition potential EDEP, the deposition time tDEP, and the concentration of HAuCl4 were optimized and their influence was monitored on 1 mM [Ru(NH3)6]3+/2+ redox probe and 50 μM DOP. The morphology of the AuNPs-SPCE prepared at various modification conditions was observed by SEM. The analytical performance of the AuNPs-SPCE prepared at different modification conditions was evaluated by a construction of the calibration curves of DOP and PAR. SPCE and AuNPs-SPCE at modification condition providing the best sensitivity to PAR and DOP, were successfully used to determine PAR and DOP in tap water by “spike-recovery” approach. The BES yields better reproducibility of the preparation of AuNPs-SPCE (RSD = 3.0%) in comparison with the case when AuNPs-SPCE was prepared manually by highly skilled laboratory operator (RSD = 7.0%).Graphical abstract

Laser‐Induced Nucleation of Acetaminophen through the Addition of Insoluble Impurities and Acidic Polymers

AbstractThis study investigates the crystallization of acetaminophen (ACET) in ultrapure water and a 10 wt.% aqueous polyacrylic acid (PAA) solution using non‐photochemical laser‐induced nucleation (NPLIN) for the first time. Using a 532 nm nanosecond laser, two distinct crystal morphologies—rhombic and tetragonal plate‐like—are formed in both solvents after adding impurities. Notably, the PAA solution showed a reduced number of crystals and slower growth rates compared to ultrapure water, suggesting that the acidic polymer modulates crystal growth. Interestingly, crystals are not induced by the laser without impurities. However, impurities like copper phthalocyanine (CuPc) or boron carbide (CB4) enabled successful NPLIN, with CB4 showing higher nucleation efficiency than CuPc. The study also explores how laser power affects nucleation probability and identifies potential laser energy thresholds. Experimental data on ACET crystal sizes over time are fitted to derived equations, which accurately represented trends and predicted results. The nanoparticle heating mechanism and the role of acidic polymers in affecting nucleation probability and growth rate are discussed, along with potential mechanisms for changes in crystal morphology.

A novel composite electrode based on graphene oxide/MnO2:h‐MoO3 particles for square wave voltammetric determination of acetaminophen

AbstractA novel composite electrode was developed based on graphene oxide (GO)/MnO2:h‐MoO3 nanocomposite for sensitive and selective voltammetric detection of acetaminophen (ACP). The composite electrode materials were characterized using X‐Ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), X‐Ray Diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) and cyclic voltammetric (CV) techniques. In the optimum conditions, the oxidation peak current (Ipa) of ACP was increased linearly with its concentration over two linear ranges from 0.06 to 10.0 μmol L−1 and 20.0 to 80.0 μmol L−1 with a detection limit of 0.0133 μmol L−1. Due to its higher selectivity and long term stability, the composite electrode was applied to the detection of ACP in pharmaceutical formulations.

Enhanced acetaminophen photodegradation under UV using anatase–rutile TiO2 phase heterojunction – Z-scheme mechanism and factors affecting efficiency

In this work, the commercial Hombikat UV-100 anatase (AH) was calcined at 1000 °C for 4 h to obtain a rutile phase grown on anatase (AR), proven by X-ray diffraction pattern. The dry powder of AH and AR were physically mixed to form AH + AR samples in different ratios. Although the characterization of AR revealed that it had microstructure bigger than AH, lower surface area, lower water-molecule absorption, higher surface states and lower charge separation, all mixed AH + AR samples, which had physically-induced tuning in phase heterojunction, outperformed the commercial TiO2 P25 in acetaminophen (ATM) photodegradation efficiency. This could be due to effective charge separation and more active sites involved in AH + AR samples as seen in the depicted Z-scheme mechanism based on their band-edge positions obtained from Mott-Schottky analysis, scavenger tests and ATM photodegradation efficiency. In addition, this work also showed that band-edge positions, band-gap energy and heterojunction were correlated in determining the ATM photodegradation efficiency.

Paracetamol and Atenolol mitigation by Fenton and adsorption in-simultaneous process – Adsorbent regeneration and QSAR eco-toxicity prediction

This study aims to study the adsorption and oxidation of Paracetamol (PAR) and Atenolol (ATL) for application in water treatment. The pharmaceutical concentrations were monitored over time to assess the efficiency of the simultaneous process. The pH, contact time, and activated carbon (GAC) concentration were the variables evaluated in the adsorption process. While to the Fenton reaction, the proportion of Fe2+/H2O2 was the variable studied. Outcomes show that the most suitable conditions in the adsorption process to treat 40 mg/L of each pharmaceutical were achieved at 3 g of activated carbon (GAC) and 60 min.Tothe Fenton reaction, a ratio of 0.5 Fe2+/H2O2 was the most suitable condition. The results obtained in the simultaneous process were 17 % of mineralization, and 100 and 73.3 % of degradation of ATL and PAR. respectively. The formation of degradation products also decreased after treatment, suggesting the potential environmental safety of the combined treatment. A regeneration study was conducted to recuperate the GAC. The results showed that a GAC regeneration of 98 % was achieved after 4 cycles by the Fenton process, maintaining the degradation of pollutants evaluated at ∼ 99–98 %. Finally, a toxicity Quantitative Structure-Activity Relationship (QSAR) study was carried out to predict its potential toxicity, showing that it is feasible to conclude that the method has positive implications for environmental safety.

Acetaminophen Adsorption on Carbon Materials from Citrus Waste

Biochar and carbon adsorbents from citrus waste have been prepared by thermal and chemical treatments; they have been used in the aqueous phase adsorption of acetaminophen (ACE) as a model emerging pollutant. These materials were fully characterized by elemental analysis, X-ray fluorescence (TXRF), adsorption/desorption of nitrogen, X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), point of zero charge (pHpzc), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and thermogravimetric analyses (TGA/DTG/DTA). A magnetic carbon adsorbent was obtained by FeCl3 activation under an inert atmosphere, giving rise to the best results in ACE adsorption. Adsorption equilibrium data were obtained at 298, 318, and 338 K and fitted to different models, corresponding to the best fitting to the Redlich–Peterson model. The maximum adsorption capacity at equilibrium resulted in 45 mg ACE·g−1 carbon at 338 K. The free energy values were calculated, and values between −21.03 and −23.00 kJ·mol−1 were obtained; the negative values confirmed the spontaneity of the process. The enthalpy and entropy of the adsorption process were obtained, giving rise to −6.4 kJ·mol−1 and 49 J·mol−1·K−1, respectively, indicating a slightly exothermic process and an increase in the randomness at the solid–liquid interface upon adsorption, respectively. The adsorption kinetics were also studied, with the Elovich model being the one that gave rise to the best-fitting results.

Bio-synthesized copper nanoparticle anchored ultrathin petal-shaped black phosphorous nanosheets and 3D graphene decorated nanocomposite for electrochemical sensing of methotrexate and paracetamol in diverse matrices

Creating a sensor that can concurrently monitor multiple therapeutic drugs in complex media is a challenging yet essential endeavor. This study presents a novel biomolecule-free electrochemical platform for simultaneous and highly selective detection of methotrexate (MTR) and paracetamol (PRC) in various matrices, including pharmaceutical formulations, simulated blood samples, and water samples. The platform utilizes a multi-layered petal-shaped black phosphorous structure supported on 3D graphene, along with bio-synthesized copper nanoparticles (BP-3DGp@BCuN). Prior to the sensing study, the as-prepared BP-3DGp@BCuN nanocomposite was characterized using FESEM, EDX, FTIR, UV, XPS, Raman spectroscopy, BET, and XRD. Electrochemical studies of BP-3DGp@BCuN nanocomposite reveal a considerable enhancement of the current compared to pure BP or 3DGp. The petal-shaped black phosphorous comprising of 3DGp and BCuN provides a larger surface area, effective mass transport, and more active sites for the attachment of the target analytes that amplified the current signals and detection sensitivity. Furthermore, computational analysis proves that the BP-3DGp@BCuN nanocomposite has strong interaction with the target MTR and PRC compared to other modifiers. Under optimized conditions, the proposed sensing method shows a linear detection range of 0.05–70 µM and 0.5–210 µM with limit of detection (LOD) values of 0.045 nM and 0.36 nM, with high sensitivity of 37.40 and 14.94 μA μM−1 cm−2 for PRC and MTR respectively. The real-life application of the present sensor was examined in pharmaceutical formulations, simulated blood, and water samples.

Single-atom iodine anchored layered graphitic carbon nitride: Dual functional Electrocatalyst for acetaminophen detection and oxygen evolution reaction

Developing highly effective bifunctional electrocatalysts for acetaminophen (ACP) detection and oxygen evolution reaction (OER) is significant and challenging. Thermal decomposition methods were used to create a high-radius and high electronegative iodine doped porous graphitic carbon nitride (IO-gCN) bifunctional electrocatalyst in here. The synergistic effect of pores nature, active sites and nanosheet-like structure, IO-gCN exhibit better ACP detection and OER activity. Under optimized conditions, IO-gCN detection limits (LOD) for ACP is 4.6 nM with a linear range of 0.2–80 μM and sensitivity is 3.234 μA μM−1 cm−2. The proposed nanosheets decorated disposable screen-printed carbon electrode (SPCE) also applied real samples (tap water and human urine sample) to obtained better recovery results. The electrochemical linear sweep voltammetry (LSV) exhibited a lower over potential (270 mV) and small Tafel slope value (144 mV/dec) at 10 mA/cm2 for IO-2 (2 wt% doped gCN) nanosheets under alkaline medium (1 M KOH). Additionally, the chronoamperometry (CA) test and the cyclic voltammetry 3000th cycle test both produced results for long-term stability and hybrid stability. This study offers a straightforward and esoteric method for creating bifunctional electrocatalysts that are free of metal.

Green analytical chemistry-based spectrophotometric techniques for ternary component analysis of pain relievers

BackgroundThe management of pain presents a significant challenge in healthcare, particularly in cases where conventional therapies prove inadequate. In response to this need, this study aims to devise two innovative UV spectrophotometric techniques rooted in the principles of green analytical chemistry for the analysis of Aceclofenac (ACE), Paracetamol (PAR), and Tramadol (TRM) in both bulk and tablet forms.ResultsUtilizing advanced mathematical methodologies such as the double divisor ratio spectra method and area under the curve, the concentrations of these drugs were accurately determined. Validation of the developed methods adhered to the guidelines outlined by the International Council for Harmonisation in the Q2 (R1), revealing linear calibration curves for ACE (8–12 µg/mL), PAR (22.75–35.75 µg/mL), and TRM (2.62–4.12 µg/mL). Furthermore, statistical analyses employing Student’s t test and F test were conducted to ensure the robustness of the proposed method. The evaluation of environmental impact through green metric tools confirmed the eco-friendliness of the proposed methodologies.ConclusionThe assessment performed utilizing green metric tools has substantiated the environmental sustainability of the proposed approach. Thus, this methodology offers accurate and reliable outcomes for the determination of three drugs, as indicated by the complete overlap observed in the zero-order spectra.

The ameliorative effect of methanol extract of Ricinodendron heudelotii (Baill.) leaves on paracetamol-induced hepatotoxicity in Wistar rats

Plants are a rich source of antioxidants that are produced naturally. Therefore, this study was aimed to evaluate the effect of the plant Ricinodendron heudelotii (Baill.) in the attenuation of paracetamol (PCM) hepatotoxicity in Wistar rats. Twenty-four male albino Wistar rats weighing between 200 and 250 g were divided into four groups, with six rats each. Group 1 served as the control group, receiving just distilled water. Groups 2 and 3 received orally 250 mg/kg bwt/day PCM and 300 mg/kg bwt/day methanol extract of Ricinodendron heudelotii (Baill.) leaves for two weeks, respectively. For group 4, the Ricinodendron heudelotii (Baill.) leaf extract was pre-administered for 1 week before receiving 300 mg/kg bwt/day Ricinodendron heudelotii (Baill.) leaves extract and 250 mg/kg bwt/day PCM for 2 weeks. As a marker of liver damage, serum aspartate aminotransferase (AST) and alanine aminotransferase (ALT) were measured. Liver tissue reduced glutathione (GSH) concentration, superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione-S-transferase (GST), and catalase activities were utilized to determine antioxidant state, while malondialdehyde (MDA) concentration was employed as a lipid peroxidation indicator. When compared to the control group, the activities of serum AST, ALT, SOD, and MDA levels were considerably (p < 0.05) higher in the PCM group, although GSH level and GST and catalase activities were significantly lower. In comparison to the PCM group, co-administration of PCM with Ricinodendron heudelotii (Baill.) extract decreased serum AST and ALT activities. This study shows that the leaf extracts of Ricinodendron heudelotii (Baill.) protects Wistar rats’ livers from PCM-induced oxidative stress by increasing antioxidant enzymes.

In-depth study of adsorption mechanisms and interactions in the removal of pharmaceutical contaminants via activated carbon: a physicochemical analysis.

This study presents a theoretical analysis of the adsorption process of pharmaceutical pollutants, specifically acetaminophen (ATP) and diclofenac (DFC), onto activated carbon (AC) derived from avocado biomass waste. The adsorption isotherms of ATP and DFC were analyzed using a multilayer model, which revealed the formation of two to four adsorption layers depending on the temperature of the aqueous solution. The saturation adsorption capacities for ATP and DFC were 52.71 and 116.53mg/g, respectively. A steric analysis suggested that the adsorption mechanisms of ATP and DFC involved a multi-molecular process. The calculated adsorption energies (ΔE1 and ΔE2) varied between 12.86 and 22.58kJ/mol, with the highest values observed for DFC removal. Therefore, the adsorption of these organic molecules was associated with physisorption interactions: van der Waals forces and hydrogen bonds. These findings enhance the understanding of the depollution processes of pharmaceutical compounds using carbon-based adsorbents and highlight the potential of utilizing waste biomass for environmental remediation.

Peanut-shell-derived biochar mediated peracetic acid activation for the elimination of acetaminophen via an electron-transfer regime

Biochar-based heterogeneous activation of disinfectant peracetic acid (PAA) is an attractive and promising route for micropollutant elimination in water, yet the underlying activation mechanism is still scarce. In this study, PAA was first catalyzed by peanut shell-derived biochar (PSBC) to degrade acetaminophen (ACP). The enhancement of ACP removal was triggered by PAA activation, while the coexisted H2O2 was unexpected to be an adverse factor owing to its occupation of active sites. Higher dosages of PSBC (0–0.30 g/L) and PAA (0–4.0 mM) favored the destruction of ACP, and the activation energy (41.8 kJ/mol) of PSBC/PAA system is lower than that of the thermal or microwave activated PAA system. The experimental results demonstrate that the metastable complex PSBC-PAA* dominated ACP elimination through an electron transfer mechanism. The surface –OH group was validated to be the key active site for PAA activation. Surprisingly, the actual water matrices present a negligible effect and the promotion of HCO3− ion on ACP removal was even observed. Based on the identified intermediates, the transformation of ACP was further proposed with the formation of polymeric products via oxidative coupling reactions. The findings not only shed light on the mechanism of PAA activated by the biochar-based catalyst but also contribute to a novel perspective on future PAA studies in contamination remediation.

Construction of MOF-74 derived CuFe/C alloy highly dispersed on ultrathin single layered reduced graphene for electrochemical determination of paracetamol

Paracetamol (PAT) is a widely used drug for fever reduction and pain relief, but its accumulation due to overuse can lead to detrimental effects on human health and environment. Here, a novel composite material CuFe/C@rGO with excellent electrochemical properties was successfully constructed by loading carbon-encapsulated CuFe alloy (CuFe/C) on ultrathin single layered reduced graphene oxide (rGO) surface for PAT detection. Firstly, the CuFe/C nanoparticles was derived from MOF-74 as bimetallic ‘preassembly platform’ to obtain high dispersiveness, huge accessible surface area, and uniform pore structure of the resulted material. And then the CuFe/C was uniformly dispersed on rGO to effectively avoid the aggregation of CuFe/C and increase the conductivity of composite material. In virtue of the synergistic effect of CuFe/C and rGO, the composite material modified glassy carbon electrode CuFe/C@rGO/GCE would be endowed with abundant electrocatalytic acitive sites and fast charge transfer speed between electrode surface and analyte. Expectedly, the CuFe/C@rGO/GCE shows outstanding sensing performance with wide linear ranges of 0.006–110 μM, low detection limit of 0.0015 μM (S/N=3), together with superior reproducibility, stability and anti-interference. This developed composite material as a flexible sensing platform can be used to detect PAT in real samples with a satisfactory recovery.