Fabrication and Characterization of Carbon Nanotube-Hydroxyapatite Nanocomposite: Application to Anodic Stripping Voltammetric Determination of Cadmium

An Electrochemical Sensor for the Determination of Trace Concentrations of Cadmium, Based on Spherical Glassy Carbon and Nanotubes

The practical application of a novel, eco-friendly electrochemical sensor based on low-dimensional structures, spherical glassy carbon microparticles, and multiwall carbon nanotubes is described. This sensor, modified with a bismuth film, was used for the determination of Cd(II) by the anodic stripping voltammetric method. The instrumental and chemical factors influencing the sensitivity of the procedure were thoroughly investigated and their most favorable values were selected (acetate buffer solution pH = 3 ± 0.1; 0.15 mmol L^-1 Bi(III); activation potential/time: -2 V/3 s; accumulation potential/time: -0.9 V/50 s). Under the selected conditions, the method exhibited linearity in the range of 2 × 10^-9 to 2 × 10^-7 mol L^-1 Cd(II) with a detection limit of 6.2 × 10^-10 mol L^-1 Cd(II). The results obtained also showed that the application of the sensor for Cd(II) detection did not experience any significant interference in the presence of a number of foreign ions. The applicability of this procedure was evaluated using TM-25.5 Environmental Matrix Reference Material and SPS-WW1 Waste Water Certified Reference Material as well as river water samples through addition and recovery tests.

AlOOH-reduced graphene oxide nanocomposites: one-pot hydrothermal synthesis and their enhanced electrochemical activity for heavy metal ions

This work described the preparation, characterization, and electrochemical behavior toward heavy metal ions of the AlOOH-reduced graphene oxide nanocomposites. This new material was synthesized through a green one-pot hydrothermal method. The morphologic and structure of the nanocomposites were characterized using atomic force microscopy, X-ray diffraction, Raman spectroscopy, X-ray photoemission spectroscopy, Fourier transform-infrared spectroscopy, and transmission electron microscopy. Electrochemical properties were characterized by cyclic voltammetry and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy. The chemical and electrochemical parameters that have influence on deposition and stripping of metal ions, such as pH value, deposition potential, and deposition time, were also studied. Due to the strong affinity of AlOOH to heavy metal ions and the fast electron-transfer kinetics of graphene, the combination of solid-phase extraction and stripping voltammetric analysis allowed fast and sensitive determination of Cd(II) and Pb(II) in drinking water, making these new nanocomposites promising candidates for practical applications in the fields of detecting heavy metal ions. Most importantly, these new nanocomposites may possess many unknown properties waiting to be explored.

Solid-phase extraction of heavy metal ions on bucky tubes disc in natural water and herbal plant samples

A preconcentration-separation procedure has been established based on solid-phase extraction of Fe(III) and Pb(II) on bucky tubes (BTs) disc. Fe(III) and Pb(II) ions were quantitatively recovered at pH 6. The influences of the analytical parameters like sample volume, flow rates on the recoveries of analytes on BT disc were investigated. The effects of co-existing ions on the recoveries were also studied. The detection limits for iron and lead were found 1.6 and 4.9 μg L⁻¹, respectively. The validation of the presented method was checked by the analysis of TMDA-51.3 fortified water certified reference material. The presented procedure was successfully applied to the separation-preconcentration and determination of iron and lead content of some natural water and herbal plant samples from Kayseri, Turkey.

Carbon nanotubes in nanocomposites and hybrids with hydroxyapatite for bone replacements

Hydroxyapatite (HA), as a bone mineral component, has been an attractive bioceramic for the reconstruction of hard tissues. However, its poor mechanical properties, including low fracture toughness and tensile strength, have been a significant challenge to the application of HA for the replacement of load-bearing and/or large bone defects. Among materials studied to reinforce HA, carbon nanotubes (CNTs: single-walled or multiwalled) have recently gained significant attention because of their unprecedented mechanical properties (high strength and toughness) and physicochemical properties (high surface area, electrical and thermal conductivity, and low weight). Here, we review recent studies of the organization of HA-CNTs at the nanoscale, with a particular emphasis on the functionalization of CNTs and their dispersion within an HA matrix and induction of HA mineralization. The organization of CNTs and HA implemented at the nanoscale can further be developed in the form of coatings, nanocomposites, and hybrid powders to enable potential applications in hard tissue reconstruction.