Application of quantum descriptors for predicting adsorption performance of starch and cyclodextrin adsorbents

Adsorption of antibiotic cefazolin in organoclay fixed-bed column: characterization, mathematical modeling, and DFT-based calculations

Cefazolin (CFZ) is an antibiotic widely used in veterinary and human medicine that has been detected in high residual levels in the environment and is therefore considered an emerging contaminant. This work evaluated the adsorption of this contaminant by Spectrogel® type C organoclay, in continuous mode using a fixed-bed column. The fluid dynamics and the effect of the CFZ concentration were evaluated. In addition, prior and post-process organoclay were characterized. The continuous system under the conditions of C₀ = 0.3 mmol/L and Q = 0.1 mL/min presented lower values of mass transfer zone (5.88 cm), whereas the system with C₀ = 0.5 mmol/L and Q = 0.1 mL/min achieved higher CFZ adsorption capacity (20 µmol/g). Phenomenological and mass-transfer models were applied to the experimental data. The dual-site diffusion (DualSD) model better described the breakthrough (BTC) data. Furthermore, density functional theory (DFT) calculation was performed at the molecular level to provide a better comprehension of CFZ adsorption.

Self-assembly in biobased nanocomposites for multifunctionality and improved performance

Concerns of petroleum dependence and environmental pollution prompt an urgent need for new sustainable approaches in developing polymeric products. Biobased polymers provide a potential solution, and biobased nanocomposites further enhance the performance and functionality of biobased polymers. Here we summarize the unique challenges and review recent progress in this field with an emphasis on self-assembly of inorganic nanoparticles. The conventional wisdom is to fully disperse nanoparticles in the polymer matrix to optimize the performance. However, self-assembly of the nanoparticles into clusters, networks, and layered structures provides an opportunity to address performance challenges and create new functionality in biobased polymers. We introduce basic assembly principles through both blending and in situ synthesis, and identify key technologies that benefit from the nanoparticle assembly in the polymer matrix. The fundamental forces and biobased polymer conformations are discussed in detail to correlate the nanoscale interactions and morphology with the macroscale properties. Different types of nanoparticles, their assembly structures and corresponding applications are surveyed. Through this review we hope to inspire the community to consider utilizing self-assembly to elevate functionality and performance of biobased materials. Development in this area sets the foundation for a new era of designing sustainable polymers in many applications including packaging, construction chemicals, adhesives, foams, coatings, personal care products, and advanced manufacturing.

Predicting the Adsorption of Amoxicillin and Ibuprofen on Chitosan and Graphene Oxide Materials: A Density Functional Theory Study

The occurrence, persistence, and accumulation of antibiotics and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) represent a new environmental problem due to their harmful effects on human and aquatic life. A suitable absorbent for a particular type of pollutant does not necessarily absorb other types of compounds, so knowing the compatibility between a particular pollutant and a potential absorbent before experimentation seems to be fundamental. In this work, the molecular interactions between some pharmaceuticals (amoxicillin, ibuprofen, and tetracycline derivatives) with two potential absorbers, chitosan and graphene oxide models (pyrene, GO-1, and coronene, GO-2), were studied using the ωB97X-D/6-311G(2d,p) level of theory. The energetic interaction order found was amoxicillin/chitosan > amoxicillin/GO-1 > amoxicillin/GO-2 > ibuprofen/chitosan > ibuprofen/GO-2 > ibuprofen/GO-1, the negative sign for the interaction energy in all complex formations confirms good compatibility, while the size of Eint between 24-34 kcal/mol indicates physisorption processes. Moreover, the free energies of complex formation were negative, confirming the spontaneity of the processes. The larger interaction of amoxicillin Gos, compared to ibuprofen Gos, is consistent with previously reported experimental results, demonstrating the exceptional predictability of these methods. The second-order perturbation theory analysis shows that the amoxicillin complexes are mainly driven by hydrogen bonds, while van der Waals interactions with chitosan and hydrophobic interactions with graphene oxides are modelled for the ibuprofen complexes. Energy decomposition analysis (EDA) shows that electrostatic energy is a major contributor to the stabilization energy in all cases. The results obtained in this work promote the use of graphene oxides and chitosan as potential adsorbents for the removal of these emerging pollutants from water.

Adsorption of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons from aqueous solution by Organic Montmorillonite Sodium Alginate Nanocomposites

The adsorption method is generally considered a promising technique to remove inorganic and organic contaminants in an economically and environmentally friendly superior manner. In this study, organic montmorillonite sodium alginate composites were prepared, in which, montmorillonite and cationic surfactant (cetyltrimethylammonium bromide, CTAB) in different added amounts were coagulated with sodium alginate using CaCl₂ as the crosslinking agent. The morphological properties of the composites were characterized thoroughly and employed in three typical target pollutants of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) (acenaphthene, fluorene, and phenanthrene) by batch adsorption experiments from aqueous solution. The composites provide an efficient alternative for PAHs removals. The composites could be stably separated and regenerated with methyl alcohol. Furthermore, the adsorption kinetic and isotherm data were well described by the Elovich kinetic and the Freundlich isotherm model, respectively. According to these, the adsorption process occurred via multilayer adsorption on the composite's energetically heterogeneous surface. Moreover, pore diffusion and hydrophobicity played a dominant role in the adsorption mechanism. Overall, our study offers a developed adsorbent that has the advantage of being recyclable, low cost, biodegradable and biocompatible for effectively removing PAHs from aqueous solution.

Synthesis, crystal structures and electrochemical properties of ferrocenyl imidazole derivatives

Six ferrocenyl imidazole derivatives substituted with -Cl, -NO₂ and -CH₃ on the 2-position of the 1H-imidazole ring have been synthesized. Of the six compounds, the di-substituted ferrocenes, i.e. compounds 4 (1,1′-ferrocenylmethyl(2-chloroimidazole)), 5 (1,1′-ferrocenyl(2-nitroimidazole)), and 6 (1,1′-ferrocenylmethyl(2-methylimidazole)) are reported for the first time. The structure-property relationships of compounds 4, 5 and 6 were investigated by means of UV-visible, FTIR, ¹H-NMR, ¹³C-NMR spectroscopy and electrochemical studies. UV-visible analysis in acetonitrile showed that the π -π* band of compounds 2 (1-ferrocenylmethyl(2-nitroimidazole)) and 5 appeared at longer wavelength compared to 1 (1-ferrocenylmethyl(2-chloroimidazole)), 3 (1-ferrocenylmethyl(2-methylimidazole)), 4 and 6. This phenomenon is due to the different electronics around the imidazole moieties. In cyclic voltammetry analysis, all compounds exhibited a quasi-reversible redox wave for the ferrocenyl and imidazole moieties. Density functional theoretical (DFT) calculations with the B3LYP/6-311+G(d) basis set were performed on compounds 1–6, and the calculated HUMO-LUMO band gap energies correlated with those obtained from electrochemical and spectroscopic data. The X-ray crystallographic analysis highlighted the effect of electron-withdrawing and electron-donating substituents on the conformation of the cyclopentadienyl rings attached to the ferrocenyl moiety.

Correlation analysis based on the hydropathy properties of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs in solid-phase extraction (SPE) and reversed-phase high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) with photodiode array detection and their applications to biological samples

In the present work we analyzed the hydrophobicity and hydrophilicity properties of several non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) by investigating the structural changes of the dynamic hydrogen bond network in order to predict the extraction recovery of NSAIDs from biological fluids set by solid phase extraction (SPE). This work allows investigating the relationship between theoretical descriptors and experimental data using a parameter free method with a strong correlation (Pearson correlation 0.95, p-value 0.0003). The identification and quantification of analytes in human plasma were carried out by high performance liquid chromatography coupled with photodiode array detection (HPLC-PDA) using a Kinetex Evo C₁₈ (150 x 4.6 mm I.D) protected by a guard column and a mixture of acetonitrile and 10 mM phosphate buffer (pH 2.5) (50:50, v/v) as mobile phase at isocratic conditions. Accuracy (BIAS%) ranged within -2.33% and + 8.05% while precision (RSD%) was less than 5.73%.The mean extraction recovery of the carprofen (IS) was 84.1% and the recovery of NSAIDs from human plasma ranged between 81.9% to 86.6%. LODs and LOQs for all the investigated NSAIDs were 0.003 and 0.01 μg/mL, respectively. The method was validated according to the ICH guide line in the range 0.010-20.0 μg/mL.

Degree of time dependency of kinetic coefficient as a function of adsorbate concentration; new insights from adsorption of tetracycline onto monodispersed starch-stabilized magnetic nanocomposite

The realization that the observed kinetic coefficient (k_obs) varies with time in most real-time adsorption system, as against the constant value conceived in the most widely-applied adsorption kinetic models, have attracted much attention in recent time. Understanding the factors that control the extent/degree of time dependency (otherwise known as fractal-like kinetics), is therefore central in taking manipulative advantage of this phenomenon in critical adsorption applications. This study therefore deployed non-fractal-like and fractal-like kinetic approach to study the adsorption of tetracycline on monodispersed starch-stabilized magnetite nanocomposite (MSM). MSM was synthesized by in-situ coprecipitation of magnetite in the presence of starch, and successfully characterized with classical solid-state techniques. Isotherm studies indicated that MSM has heterogenous surface adsorption sites. Equilibrium and kinetic data indicated the existence of π-cation interaction as the underlying mechanism, while pH study revealed that tetracycline was adsorbed in its zwitterion form. Though the non-fractal kinetic models exhibited some level of relevance in explaining the tetracycline adsorption interactions, the best fitting of the fractal-like pseudo second order model to the adsorption kinetic data, indicated that the real-time adsorption kinetics occurred in fractal-like manner. The study also revealed that the degree of time dependency of k_obs had negative correlation with the initial tetracycline concentration. Apart from developing a low-cost strategy for addressing tetracycline water pollution, the result of this study serves a positive step towards gaining manipulative control of adsorption mechanism in potential application of MSM for targeted drug delivery and controlled release of tetracycline antibiotics.

Rapid and selective recovery of acetophenone from petrochemical effluents by crosslinked starch polymer

A porous crosslinked starch polymer (CSTO) using bitolylene diisocyanate as crosslinker was prepared by a facile method and used to selectively recover acetophenone (AP) from petrochemical effluent mainly containing AP and 1-phenylethanol (PE). The theoretical calculation results indicated that AP exhibited the superior affinity toward the adsorption sites of CSTO through noncovalent interactions. The adsorption measurements showed that, due to the large surface area and high affinity of phenyl rings, CSTO displayed an extremely rapid adsorption rate, a desirable adsorption capacity and selectivity to AP. The adsorption kinetics and isotherms in single solute system agreed well with the pseudo-second-order kinetic model and Freundlich isotherm model, and the adsorption was exothermic and spontaneous. Furthermore, CSTO showed excellent reusability for selective adsorption of AP from equimolar mixture of AP/PE, prompting us to further examine its applicability. In the practical application, CSTO also revealed a fast, preferential and reusable adsorption of AP from actual petrochemical effluent.

Spatiotemporal distributions of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons close to a typical medical waste incinerator

Environmental contaminations by polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) especially from incinerators occur subtly, and PAH contribution from this source is underestimated. However, as environmental PAH concentrations build up, this may be a serious concern around the incinerator vicinity due to the potential consequences of PAHs on ecosystems and human health. Thus, the contribution of selected (12) PAHs from the Obafemi Awolowo University Teaching Hospital medical waste incinerator (or source, HWI_0) was determined by sampling stack gas and ambient air around incinerator vicinity from June 2014 to May 2015. Results showed that the 12 PAH source (HWI_0) concentrations were in the range of NA (for phenanthrene, pyrene, anthracene, benz[e]acephenanthrylene, and indeno[2,1-b]chromene) to 10.9 ng/m³ (pyrelene) and generally higher than the receptor points (hospital waste incinerators (HWIs)). The average total PAH concentrations per month at HWI_0 and the receptors-HWI_1, HWI_2, HWI_3, HWI_4 and HWI_5-were 73.0 ± 27.9, 60.4 ± 30.8, 42.5 ± 23.6, 38.7 ± 21.9, 35.0 ± 27.2, and 39.2 ± 22.9 ng/m³, respectively. These results and multivariate receptor model analysis indicated high correlations between source PAH contributions and the receptor points. The PAH concentrations in the dry season were higher than the wet season suggesting that hydrological condition affects ambient PAH concentrations. The average PAH concentrations in the HWIs as well as the cumulative exposure concentrations observed throughout the period are of major health concern because PAH concentrations detected are several times higher than both the European Union standard and the WHO guideline level.

Equilibrium adsorption of caffeic, chlorogenic and rosmarinic acids on cationic cross-linked starch with quaternary ammonium groups

In the present study, the equilibrium adsorption of caffeic acid (CA) and its derivatives, namely, chlorogenic (CGA) and rosmarinic (RA) acids on cationic cross-linked starch (CCS) with degree of substitution of quaternary ammonium groups of 0.42 have been investigated in relation to the structure and acidity of phenolic acids. The Langmuir, Freundlich and Dubinin-Radushkevich adsorption models have been used to describe the equilibrium adsorption of CA, CGA and RA from their initial solutions and solutions having the equimolar amount of NaOH at different temperatures. In the case of adsorption from the initial solutions of acids the values of adsorption parameters were closely related to the dissociation constants of investigated acids. According to the increasing effectiveness of adsorption, phenolic acids could be arranged in the following order: CA Collapse

Key Words

• Caffeic acid
• Cationic cross-linked starch
• Chlorogenic acid
• Equilibrium adsorption
• Rosmarinic acid

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MESH Headings

• Adsorption
• Caffeic Acids/chemistry
• Chlorogenic Acid/chemistry
• Cinnamates/chemistry
• Depsides/chemistry
• Hydrogen-Ion Concentration
• Quaternary Ammonium Compounds/chemistry
• Sodium Hydroxide/chemistry
• Solanum tuberosum/chemistry
• Starch/chemistry
• Temperature
• Rosmarinic Acid

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Affiliation(s)

Deimante Simanaviciute Department of Polymer Chemistry and Technology, Kaunas University of Technology, Radvilenu rd. 19, LT-50254 Kaunas, Lithuania.
Rima Klimaviciute Department of Polymer Chemistry and Technology, Kaunas University of Technology, Radvilenu rd. 19, LT-50254 Kaunas, Lithuania
Ramune Rutkaite Department of Polymer Chemistry and Technology, Kaunas University of Technology, Radvilenu rd. 19, LT-50254 Kaunas, Lithuania

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Mechanistic investigation of the uncatalyzed esterification reaction of acetic acid and acid halides with methanol: a DFT study

Implementation of catalysts to drive reactions from reactants to products remains a burden to synthetic and organic chemists. In spite of investigations into the kinetics and mechanism of catalyzed esterification reactions, less effort has been made to explore the possibility of an uncatalyzed esterification process. Therefore, a comprehensive mechanistic perspective for the uncatalyzed mechanism at the molecular level is presented. Herein, we describe the non-catalyzed esterification reaction of acetic acid and its halide derivatives (XAc, where X= OH, F, Cl, Br, I) with methanol (MeOH) through a concerted process. The reaction in vacuum and methanol was performed using the density functional theory (DFT) method at M06-2X level with def2-TZVP basis set after a careful literature survey and computations. Esterification through cyclic 4- or 6-membered transition state structures in one- or two-step concerted mechanisms were investigated. The present study outlines the possible cyclic geometry conformations that may occur during experiments at simple ratio of reactants. The free energy of activation for acetic acid and acetyl chloride are 36 kcal mol(-1) and 21 kcal mol(-1), respectively. These are in good agreement with available experimental results from the literature. The selected quantum chemical descriptors proved to be useful tools in chemical reactivity prediction for the reaction mechanism. This quantum mechanics study can serve as a necessary step towards revisiting uncatalyzed reaction mechanisms in some classical organic reactions.

QSAR aided design and development of biopolymer-based SPE phase for liquid chromatographic analysis of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in environmental water samples

A solid-phase extraction method, using a starch based biopolymer as an adsorbent, coupled with high performance liquid chromatography-fluorescence/UV detectors was developed for the determination of 16 polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in environmental water samples.