Preparation and evaluation of aminopropyl-functionalized manganese-loaded SBA-15 for copper removal from aqueous solution

A novel material, aminopropyl-functionalized manganese-loaded SBA-15 (NH₂-Mn-SBA-15), was synthesized by bonding 3-aminopropyl trimethoxysilane (APTMS) onto manganese-loaded SBA-15 (Mn-SBA-15) and used as a Cu^2 + adsorbent in aqueous solution. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), X-ray diffraction spectra (XRD), N₂ adsorption/desorption isotherms, high resolution field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) were used to characterize the NH₂-Mn-SBA-15. The ordered mesoporous structure of SBA-15 was remained after modification. The manganese oxides were mainly loaded on the internal surface of the pore channels while the aminopropyl groups were mainly anchored on the external surface of SBA-15. The adsorption of Cu^2 + on NH₂-Mn-SBA-15 was fitted well by the Langmuir equation and the maximum adsorption capacity of NH₂-Mn-SBA-15 for Cu^2 + was over two times higher than that of Mn-SBA-15 under the same conditions. The Elovich equation gave a good fit for the adsorption process of Cu^2 + by NH₂-Mn-SBA-15 and Mn-SBA-15. Both the loaded manganese oxides and the anchored aminopropyl groups were found to contribute to the uptake of Cu^2 +. The NH₂-Mn-SBA-15 showed high selectivity for copper ions. Consecutive adsorption–desorption experiments showed that the NH₂-Mn-SBA-15 could be regenerated by acid treatment without altering its properties.     

Insight into the adsorption of tetracycline onto amino and amino–Fe functionalized mesoporous silica: Effect of functionalized groups

In order to study the influences of functionalized groups onto the adsorption of tetracycline (TC), we prepared a series of amino and amino–Fe^3 + complex mesoporous silica adsorbents with diverse content of amino and Fe^3 + groups (named N,N-SBA15 and Fe-N,N-SBA15). The resulting mesoporous silica adsorbents were fully characterized by X-ray powder diffraction, Fourier transform infrared spectrometer and N₂ adsorption/desorption isotherms. Furthermore, the effects of functionalized groups on the removal of TC were investigated. The results showed that the periodic ordered structure of SBA-15 was maintained after modification of amino/Fe^3 + groups. The functionalized amino groups decreased the adsorption capacity while the coordinated Fe^3 + increased the adsorption capacity. The adsorption kinetics of TC fitted pseudo-second-order model well and the equilibrium was achieved quickly. The adsorption isotherms fitted the Langmuir model well and with the Fe^3 + content increased from 3.93% to 8.26%, the Q_max of the adsorbents increased from 102 to 188 mmol/kg. The solution pH affected the adsorption of TC onto amino complex adsorbents slightly while influenced the adsorption onto Fe-amine complex adsorbents greatly. The adsorption of TC on SBA15 and N,N-SBA15 may be related to the formation of outer-sphere surface complexes, while the adsorption of TC onto Fe-N,N-SBA15 was mainly attributed to the inner-sphere surface complexes. This study could offer potential materials that have excellent adsorption behavior for environmental remediation and suggested useful information for the preparing other adsorbents in environmental applications.     

Adsorption of Mn2+ from aqueous solution using Fe and Mn oxide-coated sand

The adsorption of Mn²⁺ onto immobilized Mn-oxide and Fe-oxide adsorbent such as manganese oxide-coated sand1 (MOCS1), manganese oxide-coated sand2 (MOCS2), iron oxide-coated sand2 (IOCS2), and manganese and iron oxide-coated sand (MIOCS) was investigated. The effects of pH (5.5 to 8.0) and temperature (25 to 45℃) on the equilibrium capacity were examined. Equilibrium studies showed that there is a good fit with both Freundlich and Langmuir isotherm, which indicates surface heterogeneity and monolayer adsorption of the adsorbents. Kinetic data showed high correlation with the pseudo second-order model, which signifies a chemisorption-controlled mechanism. The activation energies, activation parameters (ΔG^*, ΔH^*, ΔS^*), and thermodynamic parameters (ΔG⁰, ΔH⁰, ΔS⁰) confirmed that adsorption with MIOCS was endothermic and more spontaneous at higher temperature while an opposite trend was observed for the other adsorbents. Thermodynamic studies showed that adsorption involved formation of activated complex, where MOCS1 and MIOCS follow a physical-chemical mechanism, while MOCS2 and IOCS2 follows purely chemical mechanism.     

Preparation and evaluation of aminopropyl-functionalized manganese-loaded SBA-15 for copper removal from aqueous solution

A novel material, aminopropyl-functionalized manganese-loaded SBA-15 (NH₂-Mn-SBA- 15), was synthesized by bonding 3-aminopropyl trimethoxysilane (APTMS) onto manganeseloaded SBA-15 (Mn-SBA-15) and used as a Cu²⁺ adsorbent in aqueous solution. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), X-ray diffraction spectra (XRD), N₂ adsorption/ desorption isotherms, high resolution field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) were used to characterize the NH₂-Mn-SBA-15. The orderedmesoporous structure of SBA-15 was remained aftermodification. The manganese oxides were mainly loaded on the internal surface of the pore channels while the aminopropyl groups were mainly anchored on the external surface of SBA-15. The adsorption of Cu²⁺ on NH₂-Mn-SBA-15 was fitted well by the Langmuir equation and the maximum adsorption capacity of NH₂-Mn-SBA-15 for Cu²⁺ was over two times higher than that of Mn-SBA-15 under the same conditions. The Elovich equation gave a good fit for the adsorption process of Cu²⁺ by NH₂-Mn-SBA-15 and Mn-SBA-15. Both the loaded manganese oxides and the anchored aminopropyl groups were found to contribute to the uptake of Cu²⁺. The NH₂-Mn-SBA-15 showed high selectivity for copper ions. Consecutive adsorption-desorption experiments showed that the NH₂-Mn-SBA-15 could be regenerated by acid treatment without altering its properties.     

Adsorption of lead on multi-walled carbon nanotubes with different outer diameters and oxygen contents: Kinetics, isotherms and thermodynamics

The effects of different outer diameters and surface oxygen contents on the adsorption of heavy metals onto six types of multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) were investigated in an aqueous solution and lead was chosen as a model metal ion. The results indicated that the percentage removal and adsorption capacity of lead remarkably increased with decreasing outer diameter due to larger specific surface area (SSA). The SSA-normalized maximum adsorption capacity (qm /SSA) and SSA-normalized adsorption coefficient (Kd /SSA) were strongly positively correlated with surface oxygen content, implying that lead adsorption onto MWCNTs significantly increases with the rise of oxygen content and decreases with decreasing SSA. The calculated thermodynamic parameters indicated that adsorption of lead on MWCNTs was endothermic and spontaneous. When the oxygen content of MWCNTs increased from 2.0% to 5.9%, the standard free energy (△ G0 ) became more negative, which implied that the oxygenated functional groups increased the adsorption affinity of MWCNTs for lead. Through calculation of enthalpy (△ H0 ), G0 and free energy of adsorption (Ea ), lead adsorption onto MWCNTs was recognized as a chemisorption process. The chemical interaction between lead and the phenolic groups of MWCNTs could be one of the main adsorption mechanisms due to highly positive correlations between the phenolic groups and K d /SSA or q m /SSA.     

Powdered activated carbon adsorption of two fishy odorants in water: Trans,trans-2,4-heptadienal and trans,trans-2,4-decadienal

Powdered activated carbon (PAC) adsorption of two fishy odorants, trans,trans-2,4-heptadienal (HDE) and trans,trans-2,4-decadienal (DDE), was investigated. Both the pseudo first-order and the pseudo second-order kinetic models well described the kinetics curves, and DDE was more readily removed by PAC. In isotherm tests, both Freundlich and Modified Freundlich isotherms fitted the experimental data well. PAC exhibited a higher adsorption capacity for DDE than for HDE, which could be ascribed to the difference in their hydrophobicity. The calculated thermodynamic parameters (ΔG⁰, ΔH⁰, and ΔS⁰) indicated an exothermic and spontaneous adsorption process. PAC dosage, pH, and natural organic matter (NOM) presence were found to influence the adsorption process. With increasing PAC dosage, the pseudo first-order and pseudo second-order rate constants both increased. The value of pH had little influence on HDE or DDE molecules but altered the surface charge of PAC, and the maximum adsorption capacity occurred at pH 9. The presence of NOM, especially the fraction with molecular weight less than 1 k Dalton, hindered the adsorption. The study showed that preloaded NOM impaired the adsorption capacity of HDE or DDE more severely than simultaneously fed NOM did.     

介孔氮化碳对水中全氟辛烷磺酸的吸附去除研究

以SBA-15为模板、四氯化碳和乙二胺为前驱体,通过聚合反应制备了介孔氮化碳(Mesoporous Carbon Nitride,MCN).同时,采用X射线衍射(XRD)、扫描电子显微镜(SEM)、透射电子显微镜(TEM)、傅里叶红外光谱(FT-IR)、X射线光电子能谱(XPS)和元素分析等手段对MCN进行了表征分析,并考察了MCN对水中全氟辛烷磺酸(PFOS)的吸附性能.结果表明,MCN吸附PFOS的过程符合准二级动力学模型,其吸附行为遵循Langmuir等温线模型;MCN吸附去除PFOS的效率受溶液pH值、溶液温度及共存离子等因素的影响,其中,溶液pH值的影响最为显著,当溶液pH值分别为2.2和10.6时,MCN对PFOS的去除率分别为98.15%和5.59%;吸附PFOS饱和后的MCN可以用0.1 mol·L-1NaOH溶液进行解吸,经5次循环/再生后的MCN对PFOS的去除率仍在95%以上.与介孔碳(CMK-3)和活性炭(AC)相比,MCN对PFOS显示出更优越的吸附能力.     

pH及表面活性剂对诺氟沙星在海洋沉积物上吸附行为的影响

采用批量平衡法系统考察了pH值和4种表面活性剂对诺氟沙星在海洋沉积物上吸附行为的影响.结果表明,不同pH值下,诺氟沙星在海洋沉积物上的吸附行为均可以较好地用Freundlich等温式拟合.Freundlich常数KF与诺氟沙星的平衡吸附量均随pH值的增大而减小,且在pH值为8.10时,出现最小值;研究发现,pH值为6.01时,诺氟沙星以阳离子交换为主要机制吸附在海洋沉积物上;pH值为8.10时,诺氟沙星在海洋沉积物中的吸附以范德华力、疏水作用、静电作用为主.加入表面活性剂后,其吸附行为能较好地用吸附二级动力学方程拟合.加入表面活性剂对诺氟沙星的平衡吸附量Qe有影响,饱和吸附量Qe由小到大依次为:Qe(Tween80)相似文献   

Synthesis of mesoporous Cu/Mg/Fe layered double hydroxide and its adsorption performance for arsenate in aqueous solutions

The mesoporous Cu/Mg/Fe layered double hydroxide(Cu/Mg/Fe-LDH) with carbonate intercalation was synthesized and used for the removal of arsenate from aqueous solutions.The Cu/Mg/Fe-LDH was characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectrometry,X-ray diffraction crystallography,scanning electron microscopy,X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and Brunauer-Emmett-Teller.Effects of various physico-chemical parameters such as pH,adsorbent dosage,contact time and initial arsenate concentration on the adsorption of arsenate onto Cu/Mg/Fe-LDH were investigated.Results showed that it was efficient for the removal of arsenate,and the removal efficiency of arsenate increased with the increment of the adsorbent dosage,while the arsenate adsorption capacity decreased with increase of initial pH from 3 to 11.The adsorption isotherms can be well described by the Langmuir model with R 2 > 0.99.Its adsorption kinetics followed the pseudo second-order kinetic model.Coexisting ions such as HPO42-,CO32-,SO42and NO3could compete with arsenate for adsorption sites on the Cu/Mg/Fe-LDH.The adsorption of arsenate on the adsorbent can be mainly attributed to the ion exchange process.It was found that the synthesized Cu/Mg/Fe-LDH can reduce the arsenate concentration down to a final level of < 10 μg/L under the experimental conditions,and makes it a potential material for the decontamination of arsenate polluted water.     

双功能介孔吸附材料的制备及其同时吸附废水中Cd2+和Cr2O72-的研究

采用直接法和后嫁接法成功制备出骨架掺杂Al原子,孔道表面接枝大位阻含胺基基团的双功能介孔硅基吸附材料.采用SAXRD、TEM、FTIR、NH3-TPD等手段对合成材料进行表征,结果表明合成的双功能AN-SBA-15具有有序的二维六方介孔结构,孔道表面的Al-OH与胺基不会发生自发复合反应.对模拟废水中Cd~(2+)和Cr_2O_7~(2-)的同时吸附去除实验研究表明AN-SBA-15具备同时吸附废水中Cd~(2+)和Cr_2O_7~(2-)离子的能力,吸附最佳pH值为5.0,吸附在40 min就达到平衡.AN-SBA-15对Cd~(2+)和Cr_2O_7~(2-)离子的吸附符合Langmuir模型,属于单层吸附.由Langmuir模型拟合出的AN-SBA-15对Cd~(2+)和Cr_2O_7~(2-)离子的最大吸附容量分别为125.9 mg·g~(-1)和156.5 mg·g~(-1).此外AN-SBA-15具备良好的脱附再生能力.     

3种氯酚对噬热四膜虫的毒性效应

以原生动物噬热四膜虫作为受试生物,研究了3种氯酚的急性毒性和遗传毒性及环境因子对污染物的生物效应,探讨了水体硬度对3种氯酚生物毒性的影响.结果表明,3种氯酚毒性大小依次为五氯酚(PCP)>2,4,6-三氯酚(2,4,6-TCP)>2,4-二氯酚(2,4-DCP),表明随着氯原子数目的增加,生物毒性增强.硬度实验结果显示随水体硬度升高,3种氯酚对四膜虫的急性毒性先降低后增加,但不同的水体硬度下2,4-DCP对四膜虫的24、48、72和96 h EC50值分别为3.69、3.54、3.02和2.34 mg·L-1;2,4,6-TCP分别为3.23、2.83、2.56和1.97 mg·L-1;PCP分别为0.63、0.45、0.34和0.28 mg·L-1,3种氯酚的EC50值分别在同一数量级上,表明对四膜虫的毒性影响不大.采用单细胞凝胶电泳技术(SCEG)研究了3种氯酚对四膜虫核DNA的损伤作用,结果显示氯酚类化合物具有细胞毒性,彗星实验可以较好地指示氯酚类化合物的遗传毒性.     

Ru(III) catalyzed permanganate oxidation of aniline at environmentally relevant pH

Ru（Ⅲ） was employed as catalyst for aniline oxidation by permanganate at environmentally relevant pH for the first time. Ru（Ⅲ） could significantly improve the oxidation rate of aniline by 5-24 times with its concentration increasing from 2.5 to 15 μmol/L. The reaction of Ru（Ⅲ） catalyzed permanganate oxidation of aniline was first-order with respect to aniline, permanganate and Ru（Ⅲ）, respectively. Thus the oxidation kinetics can be described by a third-order rate law. Aniline degradation by Ru（Ⅲ） catalyzed permanganate oxidation was markedly influenced by pH, and the second-order rate constant （ktapp） decreased from 643.20 to 2.67 （mol/L）^-1 sec^-1 with increasing pH from 4.0 to 9.0, which was possibly due to the decrease of permanganate oxidation potential with increasing pH. In both the uncatalytic and catalytic permanganate oxidation, six byproducts of aniline were identified in UPLC-MS/MS analysis. Ru（Ⅲ）, as an electron shuttle, was oxidized by permanganate to Ru（Ⅵ） and Ru（Ⅶ）, which acted the co-oxidants for decomposition of aniline. Although Ru（Ⅲ） could catalyze permanganate oxidation of aniline effectively, dosing homogeneous Ru（Ⅲ） into water would lead to a second pollution. Therefore, efforts would be made to investigate the catalytic performance of supported Ru（Ⅲ） toward permanganate oxidation in our future study.     

Using a novel adsorbent macrocyclic compound cucurbit[8]uril for Pb removal from aqueous solution

In this study, cucurbit[8]uril (CB[8]) was utilized as a kind of new adsorbent to remove Pb^2 + ions from aqueous solution. With the solution pH increased from 2 to 6, the removal efficiency of adsorption increased from 55.6% to 74.5%correspondingly. The uptake of Pb^2 + increased rapidly in the initial 30 min, and then the adsorption rate became slower. The Pseudo-second order model could be used to interpret the adsorption kinetics satisfactorily; and the rate determining step in Pb^2 + adsorption onto CB[8] was the external mass transfer step. Equilibrium isotherm study reveals that the Langmuir model gave a better fitting result than Freundlich model. The maximum adsorption capacity calculated by the Langmuir model was 152.67 mg/g for 298 K, 149.70 mg/g for 313 K and 136.42 mg/g for 323 K, respectively. The adsorption is a spontaneous process of exothermic nature. The effect of the adsorbent dosage and the influences of solution pH and co-existing cations were also investigated. The CB[8] was synthesized and characterized by ¹H NMR, IR, ESI-MS spectra, SEM-EDAX, Zeta-potential and BET-analysis. The adsorption mechanism was due to the coordination between CB[8] molecule and Pb^2 + ions.     

Synthesis, characterization and application of Lagerstroemia speciosa embedded magnetic nanoparticle for Cr(VI) adsorption from aqueous solution

Lagerstroemia speciosa bark (LB) embedded magnetic nanoparticles were prepared by co-precipitation of Fe²⁺ and Fe³⁺ salt solution with ammonia and LB for Cr(VI) removal from aqueous solution. The native LB, magnetic nanoparticle (MNP), L. speciosa embedded magnetic nanoparticle (MNPLB) and Cr(VI) adsorbed MNPLB particles were characterized by SEM–EDX, TEM, BET-surface area, FT-IR, XRD and TGA methods. TEM analysis confirmed nearly spherical shape of MNP with an average diameter of 8.76 nm and the surface modification did not result in the phase change of MNP as established by XRD analysis, while led to the formation of secondary particles of MNPLB with diameter of 18.54 nm. Characterization results revealed covalent binding between the hydroxyl group of MNP and carboxyl group of LB particles and further confirmed its physico-chemical nature favorable for Cr(VI) adsorption. The Cr(VI) adsorption on to MNPLB particle as an adsorbent was tested under different contact time, initial Cr(VI) concentration, adsorbent dose, initial pH, temperature and agitation speed. The results of the equilibrium and kinetics of adsorption were well described by Langmuir isotherm and pseudo-second-order model, respectively. The thermodynamic parameters suggest spontaneous and endothermic nature of Cr(VI) adsorption onto MNPLB. The maximum adsorption capacity for MNPLB was calculated to be 434.78 mg/g and these particles even after Cr(VI) adsorption were collected effortlessly from the aqueous solution by a magnet. The desorption of Cr(VI)-adsorbed MNPLB was found to be more than 93.72% with spent MNPLB depicting eleven successive adsorption–desorption cycles.     

经典等温吸附模型在重金属离子/硅藻土体系中的应用及存在问题

为了深入了解天然硅藻土对常见重金属离子Cu2+、Zn2+、Pb2+、Cd2+、Mn2+、Fe3+的吸附属性,同时也为了发现经典等温吸附模型应用于液/固体系时存在的问题,开展了系列等温吸附研究.结果表明,最适于描述天然硅藻土对Pb2+、Cd2+、Cu2+、Zn2+、Mn2+、Fe3+吸附的模型分别为Tenkin、Tenkin、Langmuir、Tenkin、Freundlich和Freundlich模型.各离子在天然硅藻土上的吸附以物理过程为主,吸附反应容易进行.液/固体系中,应用经典等温吸附模型对试验数据进行线性拟合时,发现平衡吸附量q e不是离子平衡浓度c e的唯一函数,而是c e与吸附剂浓度W0两个变量的函数,q e与c e/W0具有一一对应的函数关系.经典等温吸附模型存在明显的吸附剂浓度效应,参数值不稳定,模拟值与实测值差异显著,缺乏实际指导意义.试验证明新的四组分模型可用于描述天然硅藻土-水溶液体系中单一离子的吸附行为,新模型参数k与q m值也具有唯一性,可用于给定体系的实际定量计算.     

Enhanced CO2 adsorptive performance of PEI/SBA-15 adsorbent using phosphate ester based surfactants as additives

In this study,a series of polyetherimide/SBA-15: 2-D hexagonal P6 mm,Santa Barbara USA(PEI/SBA-15) adsorbents modified by phosphoric ester based surfactants(including tri(2-ethylhexyl)phosphate(TEP),bis(2-ethylhexyl) phosphate(BEP) and trimethyl phosphonoacetate(TMPA))were prepared for CO_2 adsorption.Experimental results indicated that the addition of TEP and BEP had positive effects on CO_2 adsorption capacity over PEI/SBA-15.In particular,the CO_2 adsorption amount could be improved by around 20% for 45PEI–5TEP/SBA-15 compared to the additive-free adsorbent.This could be attributed to the decrease of CO_2 diffusion resistance in the PEI bulk network due to the interactions between TEP and loaded PEI molecules,which was further confirmed by adsorption kinetics results.In addition,it was also found that the cyclic performance of the TEP-modified adsorbent was better than the surfactant-free one.This could be due to two main reasons,based on the results of in situ DRIFT and TG-DSC tests.First and more importantly,adsorbed CO_2 species could be desorbed more rapidly over TEP-modified adsorbent during the thermal desorption process.Furthermore,the enhanced thermal stability after TEP addition ensured lower degradation of amine groups during adsorption/desorption cycles.     

Comparison of UV/PDS and UV/H2O2 processes for the degradation of atenolol in water

UV/H2O2 and UV/peroxodisulfate (PDS) processes were adopted to degrade a typical β-blocker atenolol (ATL). The degradation efficiencies under various operational parameters (oxidant dosage, pH, HCO3-, humic acid (HA), NO3- , and Cl-) were compared. Principal factor analysis was also performed with a statistical method for the two processes. It was found that increasing the specific dosage of the two peroxides ([peroxide]0/[ATL]0 ) ranging from 1:1 to 8:1 led to a faster degradation rate but also higher peroxide residual. Within the pH range 3-11, the optimum pH was 7 for the UV/PDS process and elevating pH benefitted the UV/H 2O2 process. The presence of HCO3- , HA, and Cl adversely affected ATL oxidation in both processes. The NO3- concentration 1-3 mmol/L accelerated the destruction of ATL by the UV/PDS process, but further increase of NO3- concentration retarded the degradation process, contrary to the case in the UV/H2O2 process. The rank orders of effects caused by the six operational parameters were pH ≈ specific dosage > [HA]0 > [NO3-]0 > [HCO3-]0 > [Cl-]0 for the UV/H2O2 process and specific dosage > pH > [HA]0 > [NO3-]0 > [HCO3-]0 >[Cl-]0 for the UV/PDS process. The UV/PDS process was more sensitive to changes in operational parameters than the UV/H2O2 process but more efficient in ATL removal under the same conditions.     

Preparation, characterization and application of CuCrO2/ZnO photocatalysts for the reduction of Cr(VI)

The delafossite CuCrO₂ elaborated by sol-gel from 40 nm diameter colloid is optically active in the visible region. It is characterized physically and photoelectrochemically. The microstructure is fairly homogenous with a mean crystallite size of ca. 2 μm. The optical gap (1.30 eV), determined from the diffuse reflectance, is well suited to the sunlight spectrum. The Mott Schottky plot is characteristic of P-type conductivity with a flat band potential of -0.26 V_SCE. As application, the photoreduction of chromate is successfully achieved in air-equilibrated suspension CuCrO₂/ZnO (1/1). CuCrO₂ is photoactivated by visible light and the electrons in the conduction band (-1.34 V_SCE) are injected to ZnO. In the presence of salicylic acid, a conversion of Cr(VI) to Cr(III) of 57% is obtained under optimal conditions (pH 3 at 25℃, 5×10^-4 mol/L) because of the HCrO₄^- dark adsorption onto ZnO (4HCrO₄^- + 3C₇H₆O₃ + 18O₂ + 16H⁺ → 4Cr³⁺ + 21CO₂ + 19H₂O, ΔG⁰ = -557 kcal/mol). Prolonged illumination is accompanied by a deceleration in the photoactivity owing to the competitive water reduction, an issue of energetic concern. The hetero-system exhibits self sensitization for hydrogen production with an evolution rate of 149 μmol/(hr·g).     

Photocatalytic degradation of paraquat using nano-sized Cu-TiO2/SBA-15 under UV and visible light

Photocatalytic degradation of paraquat using mesoporous-assembled Cu-TiO₂/SBA15 under UV and visible light was investigated. The catalyst was synthesized by impregnation of Cu-TiO₂ colloids onto SBA-15. The colloids of Cu-TiO₂ were prepared via sol-gel method while the mesoporous support was prepared using hydrothermal technique. The catalyst was characterized using X-ray diffraction, nitrogen adsorption-desorption, transmission electron microscopy, UV diffuse reflectance spectroscopy, Zeta potential and X-ray adsorption spectroscopy. Results from characterizations showed that Cu doped TiO₂ had a small crystalline size and was well-dispersed on SBA-15. The inclusion of SBA-15 significantly enhanced the photocatalytic activity of the catalyst. Among the three types of undoped catalyst in this study (P25, TiO₂, TiO₂/SBA-15), TiO₂/SBA-15 yielded the highest degradation of paraquat for all pH under UV illumination. Meanwhile 2 wt.% Cu-TiO₂/SBA-15 yielded the highest activity under visible light.     

Nitrous oxide emissions from black soils with different pH

N₂O fluxes as a function of incubation time from soil with different available N contents and pH were determined. Cumulative carbon dioxide (CO₂) emissions were measured to indicate soil respiration. A 144-hr incubation experiment was conducted in a slightly acidic agricultural soil (pH_H2O 5.33) after the pH was adjusted to four different values (3.65, 5.00, 6.90 and 8.55). The experiments consisted of a control without added N, and with NH₄⁺-N and NO₃^--N fertilization. The results showed that soil pH contributed significantly to N₂O flux from the soils. There were higher N₂O emissions in the period 0-12 hr in the four pH treatments, especially those enhanced with N-fertilization. The cumulative N₂O-N emission reached a maximum at pH 8.55 and was stimulated by NO₃^--N fertilization (70.4 μg/kg). The minimum emissions appeared at pH 3.65 and were not stimulated by NO₃^--N or NH₄⁺-N fertilization. Soil respiration increased significantly due to N-fertilization. Soil respiration increased positively with soil pH (R² = 0.98, P < 0.01). The lowest CO₂-C emission (30.2 mg/kg) was presented in pH 3.65 soils without N-fertilization. The highest CO₂-C emissions appeared in the pH 8.55 soils for NH₄⁺-N fertilization (199 mg/kg). These findings suggested that N₂O emissions and soil respiration were significantly influenced by low pH, which strongly inhibits soil microbial nitrification and denitrification activities. The content of NO₃^--N in soil significantly and positively affected the N₂O emissions through denitrification.