Sharif Digital Repository

Natural and modified clays were applied as adsorbents for the removal of organic contaminants from wastewater. This study presents an investigation on the technical feasibility of using modified minerals that are named organoclay for treatment of dissolved substances, mainly polyphenols in olive mill wastewater. The different parameters such as applied cation dosage were effective on the removal of contaminants by these adsorbents (%CEC), pollutant concentration, pH and particle size of minerals. In this investigation bentonite particles were modified by stirring the clay with a long chain quaternary ammonium cation. Doses of the applied cation varied from zero to 1.5 times the clay CEC.... 

In the previous researches, several theoretical equations were presented for calculation of buildup factor of the single layer shields. Also, the theoretical equations were offered for the two-layered shield that consist of the known materials. For other possible modes of the multi-layered shield, the buildup factor are usually calculated via experimental or simulated data. The purpose of present study is the extraction of the new theoretical equation for the gamma ray buildup factor of three-layered spherical shield made of water, concrete and iron based on the Monte Carlo calculation. To this end, the gamma ray buildup factor of the three-layered spherical shield is calculated via... 

In this study, aiming at hexavalent chromium removal from aqueous solutions, different strategies were proposed for developing hydrophilic and surface functional polysulfone (PSf) membrane. In addition to PSf membrane, three different types of membranes were prepared by addition of SiO2 nano-particles to the dope solution and/or by deposition of polydopamine (PDA) layer on the surface of the membranes. The membranes (i.e. PSf, PSf/PDA, PSf/SiO2 and PSf/SiO2/PDA) were characterized by different techniques. The membranes' transport properties and the separation performance were studied using a filtration unit operated at a continuous dead-end flow mode. The kinetics and the separation... 

Iron(III) oxide (hematite, Fe2O3) nanofibers, as visible light-induced photoanode for water oxidation reaction of a water splitting process, were fabricated through electrospinning method followed by calcination treatment. The prepared samples were characterized with scanning electron microscopy, and three-electrode galvanostat/potentiostat for evaluating their photoelectrochemical (PEC) properties. The diameter of the as-spun fibers is about 300nm, and calcinated fibers have diameter less than 110nm with mesoporous structure. Optimized multilayered electrospun α-Fe2O3 nanostructure mats showed photocurrent density of 0.53mA/cm2 under dark and visible illumination conditions at voltage 1.23V... 

A low cytotoxic metal–organic framework (MOF) UiO-66 (UiO stands for University of Oslo) and NH2-UiO-66, that showed high cell viability of HFF-2 via 3-(4, 5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl) 2, 5-diphenyl tetrazolium assay, was reported as an effective adsorbent (antidotal) agents. The structure of MOFs was confirmed by Fourier transform infrared, Field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM) and X-ray diffraction. Thermal behavior of MOFs was investigated using with thermogravimetric analyzer in nitrogen atmosphere to check the thermal stability. FESEM showed NH2-UiO-66 displayed symmetrical crystals with triangular base pyramid morphology, with the particle size around 100 nm and uniform size... 

A low cytotoxic metal–organic framework (MOF) UiO-66 (UiO stands for University of Oslo) and NH2-UiO-66, that showed high cell viability of HFF-2 via 3-(4, 5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl) 2, 5-diphenyl tetrazolium assay, was reported as an effective adsorbent (antidotal) agents. The structure of MOFs was confirmed by Fourier transform infrared, Field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM) and X-ray diffraction. Thermal behavior of MOFs was investigated using with thermogravimetric analyzer in nitrogen atmosphere to check the thermal stability. FESEM showed NH2-UiO-66 displayed symmetrical crystals with triangular base pyramid morphology, with the particle size around 100 nm and uniform size... 

Zeolite-based micromotors were developed to eliminate the biological and chemical contamination of water in a fast and efficient way. The motors consist of a silver-exchanged zeolite core and a partial catalytic coating. These porous engines showed rapid killing of Pseudomonas aeruginosa bacteria cells in a very short time, less than 7.5 minutes. The heavy metal uptake of the zeolitic motors during the first 20 minutes of contact was considerably higher than that of zeolite particles by 23% for Pb2+, 19% for Co2+, and 16% for Ni2+. Also, the maximum removal efficiency of the motors (at room temperature and for 6 hours) for Pb2+, Co2+, and Ni2+ was 93%, 87%, and 78%, respectively, higher than... 

Excess fluoride is one of the water pollutants in the world, which is removed from water by chemical methods to produce sludge. On the other hand, techniques such as R.O. (Reverse Osmosis) also have problems with power consumption and wastewater disposal. Metal-organic frameworks are one of the newest adsorbents used to separate anions. In this study, MOF1 ({[Zn3L3(BPE)1.5]·4.5DMF}n) was used to remove fluoride from the aqueous solution. The influence of various factors such as pH, contact time, adsorbent amount, and temperature on fluoride uptake was investigated. Based on the results, the MOF synthesized in acidic media absorbs more fluoride ions. The reaction time in the first 20 min had... 

In this study, a novel hybrid hydrogel based on chitosan, acrylic acid and amine-functionalized nanosilica was prepared and characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, thermogravimetric analysis and scanning electron microscopy. This hydrogel nanocomposite was used for removal of Co2+, Cu2+, Pb2+ and Zn2+ ions from aqueous solution. The metal ion adsorption was measured by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry. The adsorption behavior showed that the presence of modified nanosilica enhanced the porosity of the hydrogel network and affected its adsorption capacity in response to different parameters such as nanosilica content, metal ion concentration, adsorbent content,... 

Here in this research, we report on surface engineering of bulk Cu2O photocathode thorough employing nanostructured materials. Nanorods (NRs) of copper oxide with average lengths of 150 nm have been synthesized by anodization of Cu foil in aqueous KOH electrolyte, followed by annealing treatment. Several heating processes were examined to reach pure Cu2O nanostructures and lastly the moderate annealing procedure at 700 °C under Ar gas flow resulted in pure Cu2O nanostructures, confirmed by XRD analysis. Surface modified nanorod/bulk Cu2O electrode was prepared by spin coating of sediments suspension of anodized drop on bulk Cu2O film fabricated through thermal oxidation method, followed by... 

A novel optimized chelating hydrogel was synthesized via graft copolymerization of acrylamide and 2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate (as two-dentate chelating co-monomer) onto salep (a multicomponent polysaccharide obtained from dried tubers of certain natural terrestrial orchids) using N,N′-methylenebisacrylamide as a crosslinker and ammonium persulfate as an initiator. Reaction parameters (N,N′-methylenebisacrylamide and ammonium persulfate amounts as well as acrylamide/2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate weight ratio) affecting the water absorption of the chelating hydrogel were optimized using a systematic method to achieve a hydrogel with high swelling capacity as possible. Heavy metal ion adsorption... 

Zinc oxide nanoparticles were synthesized and modified by a three-stage method. Elemental analysis, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, thermogravimetric analysis, scanning and transmission electron microscopy, and Brunauer–Emmett–Teller method were applied to characterize the nanoparticles. These nanoparticles were evaluated for toluene adsorption from aqueous solutions as a representative of petroleum hydrocarbon removal. The optimum adsorption condition achieved at pH of 6 and contact time of 30 min. The adsorption isotherms were fitted to the Langmuir model. The measured adsorption capacity was 12.8 mg g−1. This study demonstrated that these nanoparticles could be used as an... 

Porous silica microspheres were used as hard template to produce porous polyacrylamide microspheres. The microspheres were modified with ethylenediamine and used for the removal of hexavalent chromium [Cr(VI)] from aqueous solution. Scanning electron microscopy, thermogravimetry analysis, and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy were utilized to characterize the adsorbent. Adsorption of Cr(VI) was conducted in batch and dynamic modes, and effect of various parameters including solution pH, adsorbent dose, initial concentration of Cr(VI) and agitation time on the adsorption process was studied. The optimum pH for the maximum adsorption (124 mg Cr(VI)/g dry polymer) was found to be 3.... 

In this work, the adsorption of benzoic acid (BA) over metal organic framework of chromium-benzenedicarboxylates (MIL-101) is reported for the first time. The influences of pH, contact time, initial concentration, and temperature of BA solution on the adsorption behavior were investigated. The Langmuir adsorption isotherm was adequate to represent the experimental data (R2 > 0.99) and the adsorption kinetics was well-represented by a pseudo-second order kinetic model (R2 > 0.96). The zeta potential of MIL-101 decreased with increasing pH confirming the importance of electrostatic interactions between MIL-101 and BA as well as the importance of the large pore volume (1.32 m3/g) and large... 

A highly water stable metal-organic framework (MOF) based on zirconium, i.e. UiO-66, was synthesized and then employed to adsorptive removal of an anionic dye, methyl orange (MO), and a cationic dye, methylene blue (MB), from aqueous solution. In this work, for the first time, the long term stability of UiO-66 in water was investigated for 12 months. X-ray diffraction (XRD), field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM) and N2 adsorption/desorption analysis were employed to monitor the textural alteration of UiO-66 during water aging. The results indicated that the structure of UiO-66 was mostly retained and its adsorption capacity toward dyes exhibited minor loss after long term water... 

The chitosan-grafted-poly(N-vinylcaprolactam) (chitosan-g-PNVCL) nanofibers were synthesized via electrospinning method. ZIF-8 metal-organic frameworks nanoparticles were incorporated into the nanofibers for adsorption of Cr(VI), As(V) and phenol from water. The BET, FTIR, XRD and SEM analysis were carrfried out to obtain the characteristics of nanofibers. The optimum parameters of ZIF-8 content, pH, contact time, adsorbent dosage, and initial concentration of adsorbates on the Cr(VI), As(V) and phenol removal were studied. The reusability of synthesized nanofibers for five sorption-desorption cycles was also examined. The maximum experimental adsorption capacity of the... 

This research demonstrates the feasibility to enhance solar disinfection (SODIS) treatment by addition of peroxymonosulfate (PMS) and peroxydisulfate (PDS) by the generation of sulfate (and hydroxyl) radicals through different activation routes. The different promoters were i) sunlight irradiation, ii) mild heat (40 °C), and iii) μM amounts of Fe2+, all present during actual field SODIS experiments, or voluntarily added alongside PMS/PDS. In a first approach, the promoters were studied separately, in pairs and finally all together in a combined process (CP). In all the cases, PMS showed a higher efficiency than PDS in E. coli removal, requiring lower concentration and a faster reaction time... 

Zirconium based metal-organic frameworks (Zr-MOFs) are promising candidates for photocatalytic wastewater treatment due to their excellent properties such as high chemical and thermal stability and high photodegradation ability. Herein, we report a novel porous TiO2/ZrO2 photocatalyst derived from UiO-66 and Titania hybrids. UiO-66 nanoparticles was synthesized through solvothermal method and utilized as catalyst support to grow TiO2 particles on its surface. The prepared Titania/MOF nanocomposite was calcined to obtain porous TiO2/ZrO2 photocatalyst for degradation of organic pollutants from colored wastewater under LED visible light. The prepared materials were fully characterized with... 

Kinetics and isotherms of adsorption behavior of nanoscale Zr-based metal-organic framework for the removal of three organic dyes including acidic, direct and basic ones from aqueous solutions were studied by sorption models. Nanocube-shaped UiO-66 particles with an average edge length of 215 nm, specific surface area of 1215 m2/g, total pore volume of 0.58 cm3/g, and average pore diameter of 1.8 nm were prepared by solvothermal methods. Analyzing of the equilibrium isotherms indicates that direct dye removal is best fitted with the Langmuir isotherm. Study of the adsorption kinetics also determines that direct dye adsorption follows pseudo-first-order model (R2=0.99). The kinetics of basic... 

The nanofibers prepared by electrospinning process have high potential for the removal of toxic matters from wastewaters. In the present study, the titanium dioxide and titanium dioxide/zinc oxide (TiO2/ZnO) nanofibers prepared by electrospinning technique were coated on the sewage sludge carbon (SSC) surface for adsorption of Ni(II), Cu(II), and COD from aqueous solutions and industrial wastewaters of Iran. The synthesized adsorbents were characterized using XRD, SEM and EDX analysis. The effect of adsorbent type, pH, adsorbent dosage, contact time and initial concentrations of Ni(II), Cu(II) and COD on the adsorption capacity of synthesized SSC/TiO2 and SSC/TiO2/ZnO nanofibrous adsorbents...