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Rivenbark KJ, Lilly K, Wang M, Tamamis P, Phillips TD. Green-engineered clay- and carbon-based composite materials for the adsorption of benzene from air. JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL CHEMICAL ENGINEERING 2024; 12:111836. [PMID: 38576544 PMCID: PMC10993424 DOI: 10.1016/j.jece.2023.111836] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/06/2024]
Abstract
Benzene is a carcinogenic volatile organic compound (VOC) that is ubiquitously detected in enclosed spaces due to emissions from cooking activities, building materials, and cleaning products. To remove benzene and other VOCs from indoor air and protect public health, traditional fabric filters have been modified to contain activated carbons to enhance the filtration efficacy. In this study, composites derived from natural clay minerals and activated carbon were individually green-engineered with chlorophylls and were attached to the surface of filter materials. These systems were assessed for their adsorption of benzene from air using in vitro and in silico methods. Isothermal, thermodynamic, and kinetic experiments indicated that all green-engineered composites had improved binding profiles for benzene, as demonstrated by increased binding affinities (Kf ≥ 900 vs 472) and lower values of Gibbs free energy (ΔG = -16.8 vs -15.2) compared to activated carbon. Adsorption of benzene to all composites was achieved quickly (< 30 min), and the green-engineered composites also showed low levels of desorption (≤ 25%). While free chlorophyll is known to be photosensitive, chlorophylls in the green-engineered composites showed photostability and maintained high binding rates (≥ 70%). Additionally, the in silico simulations demonstrated the significant contribution of chlorophyll for the overall binding of benzene in clay systems and that chlorophyll could contribute to benzene binding in the carbon-based systems. Together, these studies indicated that novel, green-engineered composite materials can be effective filter sorbents to enhance the removal of benzene from air.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kelly J. Rivenbark
- Interdisciplinary Faculty of Toxicology, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, USA
- Department of Veterinary Physiology and Pharmacology, School of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, USA
| | - Kendall Lilly
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, College of Engineering, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843, USA
| | - Meichen Wang
- Interdisciplinary Faculty of Toxicology, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, USA
- Department of Veterinary Physiology and Pharmacology, School of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, USA
| | - Phanourios Tamamis
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, College of Engineering, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843, USA
- Artie McFerrin Department of Chemical Engineering, College of Engineering, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843, USA
| | - Timothy D. Phillips
- Interdisciplinary Faculty of Toxicology, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, USA
- Department of Veterinary Physiology and Pharmacology, School of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, USA
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Mazhar SI, Ali A, Tilly TB, Khan MH, Wu CY. Efficient adsorption of aromatic and aliphatic hydrocarbons by electrospun hydrophobic PTFE-NiO composite nanofiber filter mats. DISCOVER NANO 2023; 18:65. [PMID: 37382750 PMCID: PMC10409971 DOI: 10.1186/s11671-023-03834-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/20/2023] [Accepted: 03/18/2023] [Indexed: 06/30/2023]
Abstract
Aromatic and aliphatic hydrocarbons (AAHs) are comprised of a variety of gaseous chemicals that may affect human and environmental health. To remove AAHs from air, polytetrafluoroethylene-nickel oxide (PTFE-NiO) composite nanofiber filter mats (NFMs) were synthesized and characterized for their ability to effectively adsorb AAHs. The NiO-nanoparticle-doped mats were fabricated by green electrospinning of PTFE and polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) mixtures added with nickel (II) nitrate hexahydrate in the spinning solution followed by surface heat treatment. FE-SEM FTIR, Raman spectroscopy, sessile drop and Jar methods were applied as characterization techniques. The diameter of the electrospun nanofibers without NiO dopant ranged from 0.34 ± 21.61 to 0.23 ± 10.12 µm, whereas a reduction in diameter of NiO-doped nanofibers was obtained, ranging between pristine to 0.25 ± 24.12 µm and 0.12 ± 85.75 µm with heat treatment. 6% (by weight) NiO-doped PTFE composite NFMs exhibited a high water-contact angle of 120 ± 2.20 degrees; the high hydrophobicity value aided self-cleansing property of NFMs for practical applications. UV adsorption capability for heat-treated PTFE-NiO NFMs was evaluated for three AAHs, and the results showed that 6 wt% NiO adsorbed 1.41, 0.67, and 0.73 µg/mg of toluene, formaldehyde and acetone, respectively. These findings reveal the potential applicability of the prepared filter mats for capturing various AAHs from polluted air.
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Affiliation(s)
- Syeda Irsa Mazhar
- Department of Environmental Science, International Islamic University, Female Campus, Room No. 23, Hazrat Maryam Block, H-10, Islamabad, Pakistan.
- Department of Environmental Engineering Sciences, Engineering School of Sustainable Infrastructure & Environment, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, 32611-6450, USA.
| | - Attarad Ali
- Department of Environmental Engineering Sciences, Engineering School of Sustainable Infrastructure & Environment, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, 32611-6450, USA.
- Directorate of Quality Enhancement Cell (QEC), University of Baltistan Skardu, Gilgit-Baltistan (GB) Pakistan, Skardu, 16400, Pakistan.
| | - Trevor B Tilly
- Department of Environmental Engineering Sciences, Engineering School of Sustainable Infrastructure & Environment, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, 32611-6450, USA
| | - Muhammad Hassaan Khan
- Department of Bioinformatics & Biotechnology, Faculty of Life Sciences, Government College University Faisalabad (GCUF), Faisalabad, Punjab, Pakistan
| | - Chang-Yu Wu
- Department of Environmental Engineering Sciences, Engineering School of Sustainable Infrastructure & Environment, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, 32611-6450, USA
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Nano Metal-Containing Photocatalysts for the Removal of Volatile Organic Compounds: Doping, Performance, and Mechanisms. NANOMATERIALS 2022; 12:nano12081335. [PMID: 35458043 PMCID: PMC9027785 DOI: 10.3390/nano12081335] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/07/2022] [Revised: 04/10/2022] [Accepted: 04/11/2022] [Indexed: 12/10/2022]
Abstract
Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in indoor air are considered a major threat to human health and environmental safety. The development of applicable technologies for the removal of VOCs is urgently needed. Nowadays, photocatalytic oxidation (PCO) based on metal-containing photocatalysts has been regarded as a promising method. However, unmodified photocatalysts are generally limited in applications because of the narrow light response range and high recombination rate of photo-generated carriers. As a result, nano metal-containing photocatalysts doped with elements or other materials have attracted much attention from researchers and has developed over the past few decades. In addition, different doping types cause different levels of catalyst performance, and the mechanism for performance improving is also different. However, there are few reviews focusing on this aspect, which is really important for catalyst design and application. This work aims to give a comprehensive overview of nano metal-containing photocatalysts with different doping types for the removal of VOCs in an indoor environment. First, the undoped photocatalysts and the basic mechanism of PCO is introduced. Then, the application of metal doping, non-metal doping, co-doping, and other material doping in synthetic metal-containing photocatalysts are discussed and compared, respectively, and the synthesis methods, removal efficiency, and mechanisms are further investigated. Finally, a development trend for using nano metal-containing photocatalysts for the removal of VOCs in the future is proposed. This work provides a meaningful reference for selecting effective strategies to develop novel photocatalysts for the removal of VOCs in the future.
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Zhou B, Li JX. One-step to synthesize multilevel structured ZnO films with exceptional wettability. NANO EXPRESS 2020. [DOI: 10.1088/2632-959x/abb589] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/23/2023]
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