Micro/nano-machines for spilled-oil cleanup and recovery: A review

High-efficiency, safe and economically viable nano-engineered platforms for oil spill cleanup and recovery are of great importance. This review takes account of the concept of nanomotors and micromotors and their most advancements in use for oil spill treatment. The fundamental facets of artificial micro- and nano-machines/nanobots/nanomotors (MNMs) are first documented, followed by the most recent influencing developments in chemical engineering approaches toward their specific utilizations. The surface chemistry of these MNMs, their behaviors in different water matrices and their roles in the removal of oil are examined, revealing great rooms for improvement. The strategies for surface and structural modification of these tiny machines toward enhancing their reactivity in the removal of oil and coupled tasking are discussed in details, highlighting the significance of fit-for-duty design and tailored fabrication. The engineering limitations and practical implementation barriers of this emerging technology and how it can be overcome are also considered. Finally, some engineering boundaries and perspectives of this fast-evolving field are proposed at the end.

Development and characterisation of a nanostructured hybrid material with vitamin B12 and bagasse-derived activated carbon for anaerobic chlordecone (Kepone) removal

Intensive use of the chlorinated pesticide chlordecone from the 1970s to 1993 to prevent crop damage in banana plantations of Guadeloupe and Martinique led to diffuse pollution of soils and surface waters, affecting both fauna and human beings in the contaminated areas. Since 2001, drinking water production plants have been equipped with filters containing activated carbon that must be treated after saturation. The objective of this work is to produce a hybrid material composed of activated carbon and vitamin B12 (VB12) for the degradation of chlordecone (CLD). The preparation of such a hybrid material is carried out by non-covalent fixation to achieve an eco-friendly solution for the serious environmental problem of contamination by chlorinated pesticides. It is thus proposed to degrade CLD by a physico-chemical treatment allowing salvage of the catalyst, which is adsorbed on the carbon surface to generate less waste that is inexpedient to treat. Activated carbon (AC) is produced locally from available sugarcane bagasse subjected to phosphoric acid activation. The main characteristics of this material are a major mesoporous structure (0.91%) and a specific (BET) surface area ranging from 1000 to 1500 m² g^-1. The experimental results showed that BagP1.5 has a high adsorption capacity for VB12 due to its large surface area (1403 m² g^-1). The binding of VB12 to the bagasse-derived AC is favoured at high temperatures. The adsorption is optimal at a pH of approximately 6. The maximum adsorption capacity of VB12 on the AC, deduced from the Langmuir model, was 306 mg g^-1, confirming the high affinity between the two components. The hybrid material was characterised by FTIR, Raman, X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy and SEM analysis. CLD removal by this hybrid material was faster than that by VB12 or BagP1.5 alone. The CLD degradation products were characterised by mass spectrometry.

Biosorptive uptake of methylene blue using Mediterranean green alga Enteromorpha spp

Batch biosorption experiments were carried out for the removal of methylene blue, a basic dye, from aqueous solution using raw and dried Enteromorpha spp., Mediterranean green alga. A series of assays were undertaken to assess the effect of the system variables, i.e. contact time, solution pH and sorbent amount. The results had showed that sorption capacity was optimal using 6-10 solution pH range (i.e. maximum adsorption capacity of 274 mg/g). The minimum sorbent concentration experimentally found to be sufficient to reach the total removal of the dye molecules from the aqueous solution was 5 g/L. Besides, equilibrium data were fitted using five linearisable isotherm models. The related results showed that the experimental data were very well represented by the Langmuir model for the linear regression analysis and both the Langmuir and Redlich-Peterson isotherm models for the non-linear analysis. In both cases, such modelling behaviour confirms the monolayer coverage of methylene blue molecules onto energetically homogenous Enteromopha surface. In addition, an exhaustive comparative study was done to situate this marine biomass among other proposed sorbents.

Preparation and characterisation of raw chars and physically activated carbons derived from marine Posidonia oceanica (L.) fibres

Industrial valorisation of low cost and renewable biomass as raw precursor of activated carbon for environmental applications is an interesting alternative to costly commercial activated carbons. In this study, the possible use of Mediterranean, Posidonia oceanica fibrous biomass, as a precursor for chars and physically activated carbons, is investigated. Firstly, the raw marine material was chemically and biochemically characterised throughout dry-basis elemental, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) analysis. Then, several P. oceanica chars were prepared and characterised under different pyrolysis times and temperatures. In addition, physically activated carbons (PACs) were produced via water steam flow under various activation periods. The results showed that the pyrolysis induces the creation of pores at different levels with respect to the involved temperature. Thereafter, the physical activation tends to enhance the development of the porous structure. In that issue, the performed Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET) and Barrett-Joiner-Halenda (BJH) analysis revealed that the prepared PACs have a mainly mesoporous inner morphology with a varying fraction of micropores.