Articles
Publication Date: 2026
Scientific Reports (20452322)16(1)
A novel CoAl2O4@ZnO nanocomposite (NC) was synthesized via a green, low-cost, and simple sol-gel method using Amygdalus scoparia Spach gum. The photocatalytic efficacy of the produced CoAl2O4@ZnO NC was examined for the degradation of tetracycline (TC) under visible light (fluorescent lamp, 80 W, λ > 400 nm). The CoAl2O4@ZnO NC analyzed using XRD, BET, UV-Vis-DRS, FESEM, TEM and EDX. The XRD analysis confirmed the formation of CoAl2O4 with a cubic spinel structure and ZnO with a hexagonal wurtzite structure. BET analysis revealed a specific surface area of approximately 40 m2/g. The band gap energy was estimated to be around 3 eV using the Tauc equation. The CoAl2O4@ZnO NC demonstrated significant photocatalytic efficacy, achieving 92.93% degradation of tetracycline in 45 min under visible light irradiation. The addition of ethanol as a scavenger led to reduced photocatalytic activity which demonstrates that hydroxyl radicals (•OH) play a crucial role in the degradation process. LC-MS analysis identified multiple intermediate products (m/z = 358, 276, 260, 208, 192, 118, 104, 86) during the photodegradation of tetracycline, confirming the proposed degradation pathway. The nanocomposite maintained stability and photocatalytic efficiency throughout five repeated tests, showing only a minimal reduction of 3% in activity after the fifth cycle. © The Author(s) 2025.
Publication Date: 2024
Energy and Fuels (08870624)38(24)pp. 23367-23376
Oil/chemical spill accidents and oily wastewater discharge from industry have been significant global environmental threats and have attracted a great deal of attention. Oil contaminants are commonly toxic, carcinogenic, teratogenic, and hazardous to human health and aquatic organisms. Therefore, the rapid adsorption of oil from water by an efficient adsorber has become a challenging issue. This paper reports oil superadsorbent hydrophobic (cellulose maleate derivatives (CMD)/Fe3O4@SiO2) with cheap and accessible materials based on cellulose nanocrystals (CNC), whose hydrophobicity can be attributed to the cross-linker of divinylbenzene (DVB), which is attached to it after the modification of cellulose by maleic anhydride. Additionally, to improve the recovery of the adsorbent from the environment, the substrate was magnetized using iron nanoparticles. Easy synthesis and ultrafast adsorption time (3 s), high adsorption capacity for oil and organic solvents (200-253 mg/g), and maintaining an adsorption efficiency of more than 80% in 8 consecutive cycles make it a stable, amazing, and efficient adsorbent. © 2024 American Chemical Society.
Publication Date: 2023
Sensors and Actuators B: Chemical (0925-4005)379
A reversible multichannel chemosensor IPBTO [E)-5-(4-(1H-imidazo[4,5-b]phenazin-2-yl) benzylidene)-2-thioxothiazolidin-4-one] was fabricated as a D-pi-A system and used for the detection of cyanide ion (CN-) in aqueous solutions. This chemosensor exhibited a switch-off fluorescence response at 566 nm for CN- in the presence of other tested anions. The detection limit of IPBTO toward CN- was 0.7 mu M with the association constant being 2.0 x 106 M-1. The reversibility and reusability aspects of this chemosensor were investigated for five consecutive runs, and good results were obtained. In addition, IPBTO as a bioimaging agent with good cell viability was deployed for the detection of CN- in MDA-MB-231 cells. Excellent potential for sensing CN- was also realized for this chemosensor in food and environmental samples. Besides, IPBTO was self-assembled on the gold electrode surface (Au-IPBTO SAM) and used for accumulation and detection of CN- in aqueous media. This modified electrode was characterized by ATR surface analysis, and the electrochemical behavior of the electrode was studied utilizing cyclic voltammetry (CV), differential pulse voltammetry (DPV), and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS). Our results have conclusively revealed that this electrochemical sensor could be successfully used to detect CN-.
Publication Date: 2022
ChemistrySelect (23656549)7(7)
To develop chemosensors for biomolecule recognition, a multi stimuli responsive supramolecular gelator, [(E)-4-((4-(benzyloxy)phenyl)diazenyl)benzaldehyde], comprised of azo and formyl units, was designed and synthesized from readily available starting materials. The gelator was found to be capable of forming gels in light alcohols and alcohol/water mixtures at low concentrations (0.7–1.5 g/100 mL). The gel rheological analyses showed the dominance of storage modulus (G′) values (ca 5000 Pa) within the range of analysis, confirming the gel stiffness. The xerogel scanning electron microscopy (SEM) studies showed a flake-like pattern of thin sheets. Our investigations on the gelator sensing abilities revealed that, in addition to the photo-responsive function due to the presence of azo moiety, its ethanol/water gel exhibited excellent ability to detect l-arginine among 19 various amino acids, via gel to sol transition and colour change. Furthermore, the gelator could successfully recognize l-cysteine among 19 amino acids, through macroscopic sol to gel transition and colour change of its alkaline methanolic solution. Moreover, the photo- and chemo-responsive functions of the gelator were demonstrated as two combinational logic gates. © 2022 Wiley-VCH GmbH
Publication Date: 2022
Industrial and Engineering Chemistry Research (15205045)61(10)pp. 3694-3703
A novel porous organic polymer with thioether-functionalized succinimide (TS-POP) through radical copolymerization as a facile, metal-free, and cost-effective strategy for Hg2+ removal from aqueous solution is presented. Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy and powder X-ray diffraction (XRD) were used to confirm the structure, while morphology, porosity, and physicochemical properties were determined using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), N2 adsorption/desorption isotherm, and thermogravimetric analysis. Due to the presence of thioether functional groups in the polymer backbone together with the hierarchical porosity, TS-POP adsorbed Hg2+ ions with an excellent uptake capacity (833 mg g-1) and exhibited rapid adsorption kinetics. The adsorption process of Hg2+ ions over TS-POP is better described with Langmuir and pseudo-second-order models. Also, TS-POP showed very good selectivity for Hg2+ uptake among various examined metal ions (Hg2+, Cd2+, Zn2+, Ni2+, Fe3+, Ca2+, Mg2+, Ba2+, and Na+) from aqueous media. The extraordinary physicochemical stability, hierarchical porosity, possibility of large-scale preparation, superior selectivity, and exceptional recyclability make TS-POP a perfect candidate for Hg2+ removal from aqueous solutions in practical applications. © 2022 American Chemical Society.
