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Ganguly M, Tao Y, Lee B, Ariya PA. Natural Kaolin: Sustainable Technology for the Instantaneous and Energy-Neutral Recycling of Anthropogenic Mercury Emissions. CHEMSUSCHEM 2020; 13:165-172. [PMID: 31713300 DOI: 10.1002/cssc.201902955] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/25/2019] [Revised: 11/08/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Kaolin, a natural and inexpensive clay mineral, is ubiquitous in soil, dirt, and airborne particles. Amongst four commonly available clay minerals, kaolin, as a result of its layered structure, is the most efficient natural gaseous Hg adsorbent to date (Langmuir maximum adsorption capacity Qm =574.08 μg g-1 and Freundlich Qm =756.49 μg g-1 ). The Hg uptake proceeds by homogeneous monolayer and heterogeneous processes. Hg physisorption on kaolin occurs in the dark, yet the adsorption rate is enhanced upon irradiation. The effects of several metal complexes, salts, halides and solvents on the Hg uptake were examined. The addition of CuCl2 particles leads to a significant enhancement of the Hg uptake capacity (>30 times) within second timescales and without irradiation. The physisorption with kaolin is switched to chemisorption upon the addition of CuCl2 to kaolin. This process is entirely reversible upon the addition of Zn/Sn granules at room temperature without any added energy. However, the investment of a small amount of renewable energy can speed up the process. This technology demonstrates the facile and efficient capture and recycling of elemental Hg0 from air. A wide range of metal particles and diverse physicochemical processes, which include the microphysics of nucleation, are herein examined to explore the potential reaction mechanism by using a suite of complementary analytical techniques. These new mechanistic insights open a new era of energy-neutral environmental remediation based on natural soil/airborne particles.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mainak Ganguly
- Department of Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, H3A 0B9, Canada
| | - Yuanyuan Tao
- Department of Chemistry, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, H3A 0B8, Canada
| | - Bryan Lee
- Department of Chemistry, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, H3A 0B8, Canada
| | - Parisa A Ariya
- Department of Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, H3A 0B9, Canada
- Department of Chemistry, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, H3A 0B8, Canada
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Chalkidis A, Jampaiah D, Amin MH, Hartley PG, Sabri YM, Bhargava SK. CeO 2-Decorated ?-MnO 2 Nanotubes: A Highly Efficient and Regenerable Sorbent for Elemental Mercury Removal from Natural Gas. LANGMUIR : THE ACS JOURNAL OF SURFACES AND COLLOIDS 2019; 35:8246-8256. [PMID: 31132272 DOI: 10.1021/acs.langmuir.9b00835] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
CeO2 nanoparticle-decorated ?-MnO2 nanotubes (NTs) were prepared and tested for elemental mercury (Hg0) vapor removal in simulated natural gas mixtures at ambient conditions. The composition which had the largest surface area and a relative Ce/Mn atomic weight ratio of around 35% exhibited a maximum Hg0 uptake capacity exceeding 20 mg?g?1 (2 wt %), as determined from measurements of mercury breakthrough which corresponded to 99.5% Hg0 removal efficiency over 96 h of exposure. This represents a significant improvement in the activity of pure metal oxides. Most importantly, the composite nanosorbent was repeatedly regenerated at 350 ?C and retained the 0.5% Hg0 breakthrough threshold. It was projected to be able to sustain 20 regeneration cycles, with the presence of acid gases, CO2, and H2S, not affecting its performance. This result is particularly important, considering that pure CeO2 manifests rather poor activity for Hg0 removal at ambient conditions, and hence, a synergistic effect in the composite nanomaterial was observed. This possibly results from the addition of facile oxygen vacancy formation at ?-MnO2 NTs and the increased amount of surface-adsorbed oxygen species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anastasios Chalkidis
- Centre for Advanced Materials & Industrial Chemistry (CAMIC), School of Science , RMIT University , GPO Box 2476, Melbourne , Victoria 3001 , Australia
- CSIRO Energy , Private Bag 10, Clayton South , Victoria 3169 , Australia
| | - Deshetti Jampaiah
- Centre for Advanced Materials & Industrial Chemistry (CAMIC), School of Science , RMIT University , GPO Box 2476, Melbourne , Victoria 3001 , Australia
| | - Mohamad Hassan Amin
- Centre for Advanced Materials & Industrial Chemistry (CAMIC), School of Science , RMIT University , GPO Box 2476, Melbourne , Victoria 3001 , Australia
| | - Patrick G Hartley
- Centre for Advanced Materials & Industrial Chemistry (CAMIC), School of Science , RMIT University , GPO Box 2476, Melbourne , Victoria 3001 , Australia
- CSIRO Energy , Private Bag 10, Clayton South , Victoria 3169 , Australia
| | - Ylias M Sabri
- Centre for Advanced Materials & Industrial Chemistry (CAMIC), School of Science , RMIT University , GPO Box 2476, Melbourne , Victoria 3001 , Australia
| | - Suresh K Bhargava
- Centre for Advanced Materials & Industrial Chemistry (CAMIC), School of Science , RMIT University , GPO Box 2476, Melbourne , Victoria 3001 , Australia
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Rajasekaran D, Maji PK. Recycling of plastic wastes with poly (ethylene-co-methacrylic acid) copolymer as compatibilizer and their conversion into high-end product. WASTE MANAGEMENT (NEW YORK, N.Y.) 2018; 74:135-143. [PMID: 29370969 DOI: 10.1016/j.wasman.2018.01.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/18/2017] [Revised: 01/06/2018] [Accepted: 01/13/2018] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
This paper deals with the utilization of plastic wastes to a useful product. The major plastic pollutants that are considered to be in maximum use i.e. PET bottle and PE bags have been taken for consideration for recycling. As these two plastic wastes are not compatible, poly (ethylene-co-methacrylic acid) copolymer has been used as compatibilizer to process these two plastic wastes. Effect of dose of poly (ethylene-co-methacrylic acid) copolymer as compatibilizer has been studied here. It has been shown that only 3 wt% of poly (ethylene-co-methacrylic acid) copolymer is sufficient to make 3:1 mass ratio of PET bottle and polyethylene bags compatible. Compatibility has been examined through mechanical testing, thermal and morphological analysis. After analysing the property of recyclates, better mechanical and thermal property has been observed. Almost 500% of tensile property has been improved by addition of 3 wt% of poly (ethylene-co-methacrylic acid) copolymer in 3:1 mass ratio blend of PET bottle and PE bags than that of pristine blend. Morphological analysis by FESEM and AFM has also confirmed the compatibility of the blend. Experimental data showed better performance than available recycling process.
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Affiliation(s)
- Divya Rajasekaran
- Department of Polymer and Process Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology Roorkee, Saharanpur Campus, Saharanpur 247001, U.P., India
| | - Pradip K Maji
- Department of Polymer and Process Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology Roorkee, Saharanpur Campus, Saharanpur 247001, U.P., India.
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Salvadori MR, Ando RA, Nascimento CAO, Corrêa B. Dead biomass of Amazon yeast: A new insight into bioremediation and recovery of silver by intracellular synthesis of nanoparticles. JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND HEALTH. PART A, TOXIC/HAZARDOUS SUBSTANCES & ENVIRONMENTAL ENGINEERING 2017; 52:1112-1120. [PMID: 28763240 DOI: 10.1080/10934529.2017.1340754] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
This investigation was undertaken to describe a natural process for the removal of silver and the simultaneous recovery of Ag/Ag2O nanoparticles by dead biomass of the yeast Rhodotorula mucilaginosa. The removal of silver ions from aqueous solution and the synthesis of Ag/Ag2O nanoparticles were analyzed based on physicochemical factors and equilibrium concentration, combined with transmission electron microscopy (TEM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). A successful process for the synthesis of Ag/Ag2O nanoparticles was obtained, following the Langmuir isotherm model, showing a high biosorption capacity of silver (49.0 mg g-1). The nanoparticles were spherical, had an average size of 11.0 nm, were synthesized intracellularly and capped by yeast proteins. This sustainable protocol is an attractive platform for the industrial-scale production of silver nanoparticles and of a silver nanobiosorbent.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marcia R Salvadori
- a Department of Microbiology , Biomedical Institute II, University of São Paulo , São Paulo , Brazil
| | - Rômulo A Ando
- b Department of Fundamental Chemistry , Institute of Chemistry, University of São Paulo , São Paulo , Brazil
| | | | - Benedito Corrêa
- a Department of Microbiology , Biomedical Institute II, University of São Paulo , São Paulo , Brazil
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Suk JW, Lee WH, Lee J, Chou H, Piner RD, Hao Y, Akinwande D, Ruoff RS. Enhancement of the electrical properties of graphene grown by chemical vapor deposition via controlling the effects of polymer residue. NANO LETTERS 2013; 13:1462-7. [PMID: 23510359 DOI: 10.1021/nl304420b] [Citation(s) in RCA: 133] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/11/2023]
Abstract
Residual polymer (here, poly(methyl methacrylate), PMMA) left on graphene from transfer from metals or device fabrication processes affects its electrical and thermal properties. We have found that the amount of polymer residue left after the transfer of chemical vapor deposited (CVD) graphene varies depending on the initial concentration of the polymer solution, and this residue influences the electrical performance of graphene field-effect transistors fabricated on SiO2/Si. A PMMA solution with lower concentration gave less residue after exposure to acetone, resulting in less p-type doping in graphene and higher charge carrier mobility. The electrical properties of the weakly p-doped graphene could be further enhanced by exposure to formamide with the Dirac point at nearly zero gate voltage and a more than 50% increase of the room-temperature charge carrier mobility in air. This can be attributed to electron donation to graphene by the -NH2 functional group in formamide that is absorbed in the polymer residue. This work provides a route to enhancing the electrical properties of CVD-grown graphene even when it has a thin polymer coating.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ji Won Suk
- Department of Mechanical Engineering and the Materials Science and Engineering Program, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas 78712, United States
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Inorganic materials using 'unusual' microorganisms. Adv Colloid Interface Sci 2012; 179-182:150-68. [PMID: 22818492 DOI: 10.1016/j.cis.2012.06.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 74] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/12/2011] [Revised: 06/06/2012] [Accepted: 06/27/2012] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
A promising avenue of research in materials science is to follow the strategies used by Mother Nature to fabricate ornate hierarchical structures as exemplified by organisms such as diatoms, sponges and magnetotactic bacteria. Some of the strategies used in the biological world to create functional inorganic materials may well have practical implications in the world of nanomaterials. Therefore, the strive towards exploring nature's ingenious work for designing strategies to create inorganic nanomaterials in our laboratories has led to development of biological and biomimetic synthesis routes over the past decade or so. A large proportion of these relentless efforts have explored the use of those microorganisms, which are typically not known to encounter these inorganic materials in their natural environment. Therefore, one can consider these microorganisms as 'unusual' for the purpose for which they have been utilized - it is in this context that this review has been penned down. In this extensive review, we discuss the use of these 'unusual' microorganisms for deliberate biosynthesis of various nanomaterials including biominerals, metals, sulfides and oxides nanoparticles. In addition to biosynthesis approach, we have also discussed a bioleaching approach, which can provide a noble platform for room-temperature synthesis of inorganic nanomaterials using naturally available raw materials. Moreover, the unique properties and functionalities displayed by these biogenic inorganic materials have been discussed, wherever such properties have been investigated previously. Finally, towards the end of this review, we have made efforts to summarize the common outcomes of the biosynthesis process and draw conclusions, which provide a perspective on the current status of the biosynthesis research field and highlights areas where future research in this field should be directed to realize the full potential of biological routes towards nanomaterials synthesis. Furthermore, the review clearly demonstrates that the biological route to inorganic materials synthesis is not merely an addition to the existing list of synthesis routes; biological routes using 'unusual' microorganisms might in fact provide an edge over other nanomaterials synthesis routes in terms of their eco-friendliness, low energy intensiveness, and economically-viable synthesis. This review has significant importance for colloids and interface science since it underpins the synthesis of colloidal materials using 'unusual' microorganism, wherein the role of biological interfaces for controlled synthesis of technologically important nanomaterials is clearly evident.
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Sabri YM, Ippolito SJ, Al Kobaisi M, Griffin MJ, Nelson DR, Bhargava SK. Investigation of Hg sorption and diffusion behavior on ultra-thin films of gold using QCM response analysis and SIMS depth profiling. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2012. [DOI: 10.1039/c2jm34053d] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
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Sabri YM, Ippolito SJ, O'Mullane AP, Tardio J, Bansal V, Bhargava SK. Creating gold nanoprisms directly on quartz crystal microbalance electrodes for mercury vapor sensing. NANOTECHNOLOGY 2011; 22:305501. [PMID: 21719970 DOI: 10.1088/0957-4484/22/30/305501] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/31/2023]
Abstract
A novel electrochemical route is used to form highly {111}-oriented and size-controlled Au nanoprisms directly onto the electrodes of quartz crystal microbalances (QCMs) which are subsequently used as mercury vapor sensors. The Au nanoprism loaded QCM sensors exhibited excellent response-concentration linearity with a response enhancement of up to ∼ 800% over a non-modified sensor at an operating temperature of 28 °C. The increased surface area and atomic-scale features (step/defect sites) introduced during the growth of nanoprisms are thought to play a significant role in enhancing the sensing properties of the Au nanoprisms toward Hg vapor. The sensors are shown to have excellent Hg sensing capabilities in the concentration range of 0.123-1.27 ppm(v) (1.02-10.55 mg m(-3)), with a detection limit of 2.4 ppb(v) (0.02 mg m(-3)) toward Hg vapor when operating at 28 °C, and 17 ppb(v) (0.15 mg m(-3)) at 89 °C, making them potentially useful for air monitoring applications or for monitoring the efficiency of Hg emission control systems in industries such as mining and waste incineration. The developed sensors exhibited excellent reversible behavior (sensor recovery) within 1 h periods, and crucially were also observed to have high selectivity toward Hg vapor in the presence of ethanol, ammonia and humidity, and excellent long-term stability over a 33 day operating period.
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Affiliation(s)
- Y M Sabri
- School of Applied Sciences, RMIT University, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
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Ramanathan R, O'Mullane AP, Parikh RY, Smooker PM, Bhargava SK, Bansal V. Bacterial kinetics-controlled shape-directed biosynthesis of silver nanoplates using Morganella psychrotolerans. LANGMUIR : THE ACS JOURNAL OF SURFACES AND COLLOIDS 2011; 27:714-9. [PMID: 21142094 DOI: 10.1021/la1036162] [Citation(s) in RCA: 75] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/02/2023]
Abstract
We show for the first time that by controlling the growth kinetics of Morganella psychrotolerans, a silver-resistant psychrophilic bacterium, the shape anisotropy of silver nanoparticles can be achieved. This is particularly important considering that there has been no report that demonstrates a control over shape of Ag nanoparticles by controlling the growth kinetics of bacteria during biological synthesis. Additionally, we have for the first time performed electrochemistry experiments on bacterial cells after exposing them to Ag(+) ions, which provide significant new insights about mechanistic aspects of Ag reduction by bacteria. The possibility to achieve nanoparticle shape control by using a "green" biosynthesis approach is expected to open up new exciting avenues for eco-friendly, large-scale, and economically viable shape-controlled synthesis of nanomaterials.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rajesh Ramanathan
- School of Applied Sciences, RMIT University, GPO Box 2476 V, Melbourne, VIC 3001, Australia
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Plowman B, Ippolito SJ, Bansal V, Sabri YM, O'Mullane AP, Bhargava SK. Gold nanospikes formed through a simple electrochemical route with high electrocatalytic and surface enhanced Raman scattering activity. Chem Commun (Camb) 2009:5039-41. [PMID: 19668842 DOI: 10.1039/b910830k] [Citation(s) in RCA: 82] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
We demonstrate a simple electrochemical route to produce uniformly sized gold nanospikes without the need for a capping agent or prior modification of the electrode surface, which are predominantly oriented in the {111} crystal plane and exhibit promising electrocatalytic and SERS properties.
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Affiliation(s)
- Blake Plowman
- School of Applied Sciences, RMIT University, GPO Box 2476V, Melbourne, Australia
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