Molecular identification and nanoremediation of microbial contaminants in algal systems using untreated wastewater

Wastewater-algal biomass is a promising option to biofuel production. However, microbial contaminants constitute a substantial barrier to algal biofuel yield. A series of algal strains, Nannochloris oculata and Chlorella vulgaris samples (n = 30), were purchased from the University of Texas, and were used for both stock flask cultures and flat-panel vertical bioreactors. A number of media were used for isolation and differentiation of potential contaminants according to laboratory standards (CLSI). Conventional PCR amplification was performed followed by 16S rDNA sequencing to identify isolates at the species level. Nanotherapeutics involving a nanomicellar combination of natural chitosan and zinc oxide (CZNPs) were tested against the microbial lytic groups through Minimum Inhibitory Concentration (MIC) tests and Transmission Electronic Microscopy (TEM). Results indicated the presence of Pseudomonas spp., Bacillus pumilus/ safensis, Cellulosimicrobium cellulans, Micrococcus luteus and Staphylococcus epidermidis strains at a substantial level in the wastewater-fed algal reactors. TEM confirmed the effectiveness of CZNPs on the lytic group while the average MICs (mg/mL) detected for the strains, Pseudomonas spp, Micrococcus luteus, and Bacillus pumilus were 0.417, 3.33, and 1.458, respectively. Conclusively, CZNP antimicrobials proved to be effective as inhibitory agents against currently identified lytic microbial group, did not impact algae cells, and shows promise for in situ interventions.     

La2O3/ZnO/TiO2光催化降解活性艳红K-2BP的研究

采用溶胶-凝胶法制备了La2O3/ZnO/TiO2复合光催化剂,以紫外灯为光源,活性艳红K-2BP为模型降解物,研究了La2O3/ZnO/TiO2的光催化性能.结果表明:当锌和镧的掺杂量w(zno)=20%,w(La2O3)=0.5%,煅烧温度为500℃时,La2O3/ZnO/TiO2复合光催化剂的光催化活件最高;当催化荆投加量4 g/L,通气量800 mL/min,初始pH值3.12时,La2O3/ZnO/TiO2对活性艳红K-2BP的降解效果最好.实验证明.La2O3/ZnO/TiO2对活性艳红K-2BP的降解遵从Lang-muir-Hinshelwood动力学模型,测得其反应速率常数k=11.5 mg/(L·min);吸附常数K=2.88×10-2L/mg.     

Highly efficient reduction of aqueous Cr(VI) with novel ZnO/SnS nanocomposites through the piezoelectric effect

In this work, novel ZnO/SnS nanocomposites were successfully synthesized via a hydrothermal approach, which is developed for piezoelectric catalytic reduction of hexavalent chromium (Cr(VI)) in an aqueous solution. The constructed ZnO/SnS nanocomposites exhibited higher catalytic efficiency for Cr(VI) reduction under a mechanical force (e.g., ultrasonic vibration) compared to pristine ZnO and SnS. In particular, the ZnO/SnS (with 30 wt.% of SnS) heterojunctions revealed an optimal degradation activity among all the prepared samples, which completely removed the Cr(VI) (20 mg/L) solution within 35 min. Moreover, the piezoelectric catalytic activity of ZnO/SnS remained stable after four consecutive cycling experiments. The results of the morphology observations indicated that the SnS nanoparticles adhere to the surface of the ZnO nanorods. The improved piezoelectric catalytic performance of the ZnO/SnS heterojunctions can be attributed to the formation of an intimate interfacial between ZnO and SnS, which effectively inhibits the electron-hole recombination and speeds up the rate of charge transfer. The study reveals a new design of ZnO/SnS heterojunctions as a high-performance and eco-friendly piezoelectric catalyst and provides a promising strategy for addressing environmental problems and energy crises.     

Eu掺杂ZnO光催化剂降解垃圾渗滤液实验研究

以醋酸锌(Zn(CH3COO)2)、六水合硝酸铕(Eu(NO3)3·6H2O)、氢氧化钠(Na OH)、聚乙二醇(PEG2000)、柠檬酸为主要原料,采用水热法制备Eu掺杂Zn O复合纳米棒光催化材料粉体。用制备的粉体对城市垃圾渗滤液进行光催化降解实验,研究了反应温度、反应时间、光照条件、掺杂比对其光催化氧化效果的影响,用XRD、TEM、EDS等测试手段对粉体进行了表征。研究结果表明,水热反应温度160℃,时间为6 h,制备的3%Eu掺杂Zn O复合纳米棒的光催化效果较好,在365 nm紫外灯照射下,150 min后垃圾渗滤液的脱色率达40%,COD降解率达62%。     

Physiological and antioxidative response of Brassica nigra (L.) to ZnO nanoparticles grown in culture media and soil

Abstract

To investigate metal nanoparticle-induced phytotoxicity, Brassica nigra seeds were exposed to 50–1000?mg L^?1 ZnO nanoparticles in culture media and 100–1000?mg kg^?1 in soil. Plant length and weight were adversely affected in culture conditions, but with soil the effect was not significant. Determination of the radical-scavenging potential revealed that soil grown plants were less stressed than plants grown on culture medium. The total antioxidant and reducing power potential of soil grown plants were less variable compared to plants grown on culture medium. Total phenolic and flavonoid concentrations varied in plants, which changed with the nanoparticle’s concentrations in medium and soil. High performance liquid chromatography analysis showed that rutin was the major antioxidative molecule that significantly increased in nanoparticles-stressed B. nigra plants.     

Cu/盘状ZnO模型催化剂催化CO2加氢反应中生成CO的活性位研究

通过水热法合成盘状ZnO,并在其表面负载Cu得到Cu/盘状ZnO模型催化剂,将不同气氛下(5%CO/Ar、2.5%H_2/2.5%CO/Ar、5%H_2/Ar,分别记为CZ-5CO、CZ-2.5H_2-2.5CO、CZ-5H_2)还原的模型催化剂用于逆水煤气变换反应.对催化剂进行热重分析(TGA)、X射线衍射(XRD)、扫描电子显微镜(SEM)、X射线光电子能谱(XPS)、原位紫外拉曼光谱(in situ UV-Raman)表征.结果表明,不同的还原气氛可得到不同尺寸的Cu颗粒及不同缺陷浓度的Cu-ZnO界面.CO_2程序升温脱附(CO_2-TPD)结果表明,不同的Cu-ZnO界面具有不同的CO_2活化能力.其中CZ-5H_2形成的Cu-ZnO界面对CO_2活化能力最强,表现出最佳的逆水煤气变换反应活性;CZ-5CO具有更多的表面缺陷可能是由于存在Cu_3Zn合金,但Cu-ZnO界面上CO_2的吸附容量降低,导致逆水煤气变换反应活性低;CZ-2.5H_2-2.5CO的活性介于CZ-5H_2与CZ-5CO之间,界面对CO_2的活化量也介于两者之间.     

两种纳米颗粒对沸石吸附环丙沙星的影响

为了探明纳米颗粒（NPs）共存对抗生素在黏土矿物上的吸附的影响,以沸石为供试黏土矿物,环丙沙星（CIP）为目标污染物,研究了不同温度、 pH值和离子强度条件下,纳米氧化锌（ZnO NPs）和纳米二氧化钛（TiO₂ NPs）这2种NPs对沸石吸附CIP的影响,并结合沸石的表面特征探讨不同类型NPs对CIP吸附的影响机制.结果表明,除5 mg·L^-1ZnO NPs共存时,轻微促进了CIP的吸附,其他NPs浓度均对CIP产生不同程度的抑制,抑制程度表现出TiO₂ NPs>ZnO NPs的顺序;随温度升高,NPs的存在增强了沸石对CIP吸附的增温正效应;当离子强度由0.001mol·L^-1增加到0.01mol·L^-1时,CIP的吸附量下降,但2种NPs的存在均减弱了离子强度的负效应;溶液pH会影响CIP的存在形态和NPs的性质,进而影响CIP的吸附.沸石对单一CIP的吸附存在静电引力、氢键和孔径填充作用,ZnO NPs主要通过静电引力竞争吸附位点对CIP吸附产生影响,而TiO     

One-step preparation of MoOx/ZnS/ZnO composite and its excellent performance in piezocatalytic degradation of Rhodamine B under ultrasonic vibration

This paper synthesized a new type of ternary piezoelectric catalyst MoO_x/ZnS/ZnO (MZZ)by a one-step method.The catalytic degradation of Rhodamine B (RhB) solution (10μg/g,pH=7.0) shows that the composite catalyst has excellent piezoelectric catalytic activity under ultrasonic vibration (40 k Hz).The piezoelectric degradation rate of the optimal sample reached 0.054 min^-1,which was about 2.5 times that of pure ZnO.X-ray diffraction(XRD),X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS)...     

Photocatalytic degradation of endocrine disruptor Bisphenol-A in the presence of prepared CexZn1-xO nanocomposites under irradiation of sunlight

Photocatalytic degradation of Bisphenol A （BPA）, a representative endocrine disruptor chemical, was carried out under irradiation of sunlight in the presence of CexZn1-xO nanophotocatalyst. Cerium （Ce） ions were successfully incorporated into the bulk lattice of ZnO by simple co-precipitation process. The CexZn1-xO composite nanostructures exhibited higher photocatalytic efficiency than pure ZnO in the degradation of BPA under sunlight irradiation and nearly complete mineralization of BPA was achieved. The degradation rate was strongly dependent on factors such as the size and structure of catalyst, doping material concentration, BPA concentration, catalyst load, irradiation time and pH levels. This work suggested that the CexZn1-xO assisted photocatalytic degradation is a versatile, economic, environmentally benign and efficient method for BPA removal in the aqueous environment.     

Hydrothermal fabrication of selectively doped organic assisted advanced ZnO nanomaterial for solar driven photocatalysis

Hydrothermal fabrication of selectively doped (Ag⁺ + Pd^3 +) advanced ZnO nanomaterial has been carried out under mild pressure temperature conditions (autogeneous; 150°C). Gluconic acid has been used as a surface modifier to effectively control the particle size and morphology of these ZnO nanoparticles. The experimental parameters were tuned to achieve optimum conditions for the synthesis of selectively doped ZnO nanomaterials with an experimental duration of 4 hr. These selectively doped ZnO nanoparticles were characterized using powder X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), UV–Vis spectroscopy and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The solar driven photocatalytic studies have been carried out for organic dyes, i.e., Procion MX-5B dye, Cibacron Brilliant Yellow dye, Indigo Carmine dye, separately and all three mixed, by using gluconic acid modified selectively doped advanced ZnO nanomaterial. The influence of catalyst, its concentration and initial dye concentration resulted in the photocatalytic efficiency of 89% under daylight.