Synthesis and characterization of faujasite zeolite membrane for selective enrichment of Arthrobacter sp. in synthetic wastewater.

This paper centers on the preparation and characterization of both a clay support and a faujasite zeolite membrane. Additionally, the study explores the development of bacterial media to assess the performance of these prepared membranes. The faujasite zeolite membrane was created using the hydrothermal method, involving the deposition of a faujasite layer to fine-tune the pore sizes of the clay support. The clay supports were crafted from clay which was sieved to particle size Φ ≤ 63 µm, and compacted with 3.0 wt.% activated carbon, then sintered at 1,000 °C. Distilled water fluxes revealed a decrease from 1,500 L m-2 h-1 to a minimum of 412 L m-2 h-1 after 180 min of filtration. Both membranes were characterized by XRF, XRD, FTIR, adsorption-desorption of nitrogen (N2), and SEM-EDS. PCR technique was used for the identification of the isolated Arthrobacter sp., and the retention of the bacteria on the clay support and the faujasite zeolite membrane were found to be 96 and 99%, respectively. The results showed that the faujasite zeolite membrane passed the clay support due to a narrow pore size of the faujasite zeolite membrane of 2.28 nm compared to 3.55 nm for the clay supports.

Preparation and characterization of clay based ceramic porous membranes and their use for the removal of lead ions from synthetic wastewater with an insight into the removal mechanism.

The present study explores the use of local clay from the United Arab Emirates (UAE) to prepare porous ceramic membranes (flat disk shape) for the purpose of removing toxic heavy metals from contaminated water. Four distinct ceramic membranes, crafted from locally sourced clay and incorporated with activated carbon and graphite, underwent careful and thorough preparation. The initial set of membranes was subjected to open-air sintering, resulting in the creation of mACA and mGrA membranes. Concurrently, a second set of meticulously prepared membranes underwent sintering under inert nitrogen conditions, yielding the formation of mACI and mGrI membranes, respectively. Prior to making the membranes, the clay material was characterized by thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), X-ray fluorescence (XRF), Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), and X-ray diffraction analysis (XRD). The clay presented the lowest weight loss compared to AC and Gr, implying that these two materials could be used as porogen agents. The X-ray fluorescence results indicated that the natural clay contained 65.5 wt% of silicon dioxide (SiO2), aluminium oxide (Al2O3), and iron (III) oxide (Fe2O3) falling within the class C category of clays according to ASTM. The FTIR analysis showed different clay regions allocated to various stretching and deformation vibrations of hydroxide, organic fraction, and (Si, Al, Fe)-O groups. The XRD analysis revealed the presence of kaolinite, illite, smectite and calcite phyllite phases in the clay mineral. The membranes were characterized using FESEM, with those containing AC (used as porogen) exhibiting large pores clearly visible on the surface, and were tested for the removal of lead (Pb2+) ions from synthetic wastewater. The removal efficiencies of the membranes were 33 %, 75.2 %, 100 % and 100 % for mACA, mACI, mGrA and mGrI respectively after 100 min operation. The wettability of the membranes was found to follow the order mACI < mACA < mGrI < mGrA, which corroborated well with water fluxes of 7, 8, 112 and 214 L h-1 m-2 recorded after 60 min duration and 1.0 bar applied pressure. The mechanisms of filtration of Pb2+ ions were adsorption for the AC-based membranes (mACA, mACI) and a combination of adsorption and size exclusion for the Gr-based membranes (mGrA, mGrI).

Antitumor effect of algae silver nanoparticles on human triple negative breast cancer cells.

In recent years, metallic nanoparticles have gained increasing attention due to their prospective applications in the field of nanomedicine, with increasing research into their use in cancer therapy. In this current research, we investigated the effect of green synthesized Silver Nanoparticles (AgNPs) capped with Noctiluca scintillans algae extract. The phytochemicals present in the shell of AgNPs were identified using GC-MS. Different compounds with anticancer activity such as n-hexadecanoic acid, beta-sitosterol, stigmasterol and palmitic acid were detected among others. The effects of Algae-AgNPs synthesized were tested on MDA-MB-231 human breast cancer cells and HaCat human keratinocyte normal cells. Cell viability assay revealed a time and dose-dependent effect against breast cancer cells with a less potent effect against normal cells. The cell viability reduction is not attributed to a cytotoxic nor an antiproliferative effect of the Algae-AgNPs as attested by LDH release and BrdU incorporation. Algae-AgNPs exhibited an exceptional ability to specifically induce apoptosis in cancer cells and not normal cells. The observed effects are not attributed to the AgNPs, as demonstrated by the lack of impact of the Starch-AgNPs (used as a negative control) on cell survival and apoptosis. In addition to that, we show that Algae-AgNPs significantly reduced tumor cell migration by downregulation of matrix metalloprotease-9 levels. In vivo, the breast cancer xenograft model showed a significant reduction of tumor growth in mice treated with Algae-AgNPs. These findings highlight the promising potential of the green synthesized AgNPs as a safe targeted therapy for cancer treatment.

ß-Cyclodextrin-Functionalized Fe3O4-Supported Pd-Nanocatalyst for the Reduction of Nitroarenes in Water at Mild Conditions.

In this study, a novel heterogeneous catalyst (Fe3O4@ß-CD@Pd) has been developed by the deposition of palladium nanoparticles on the ß-cyclodextrin-functionalized surface of magnetic Fe3O4. The catalyst was prepared by a simple chemical co-precipitation method and characterized extensively by using Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), X-ray diffraction (XRD), field-emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM), energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and inductively coupled plasma-optical emission spectrometry (ICP-OES) analyses. Herein, the applicability of the prepared material was evaluated for the catalytic reduction of environmentally toxic nitroarenes to the corresponding anilines. The catalyst Fe3O4@ß-CD@Pd showed excellent efficiency for the reduction of nitroarenes in water under mild conditions. A low catalyst loading of 0.3 mol % Pd is found to be efficient for reducing nitroarenes in excellent to good (99-95%) yields along with high TON values (up to 330). Nevertheless, the catalyst was recycled and reused up to the 5th cycle of reduction of nitroarene without any loss of significant catalytic activity.

Controlled electrochemical surface exfoliation of graphite pencil electrodes for high-performance supercapacitors.

A controlled surface exfoliation method for graphite pencil electrodes using an environmentally friendly, low cost and scalable electrochemical process is reported. A simple direct current power supply in a neutral medium is used for inducing graphene formation on the electrode surface in a controlled manner. The electrochemical properties of the surface exfoliated electrode are characterized, displaying a >300× increase in the electrochemical surface area and >50× decrease in the electrode resistance after exfoliation. The surface graphene layer is characterized using electron microscopy, Raman, infrared, X-ray photoelectron, and energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopies and X-ray diffractometry showing a fully exfoliated surface, formation of surface defects and mild surface graphene oxidation while maintaining an intact graphitic crystal structure. The surface exfoliated electrode is tested as a supercapacitor demonstrating more than 2 orders of magnitude improvement over non-exfoliated electrode in both 3-electrode and 2-electrode setups and achieving a high areal capacitance of ∼54 mF cm-2. The benign nature, low cost, scalability of our controlled surface exfoliation methodology, and its significant impact on the electrochemical properties of the electrode make it very promising for further investigation in various applications such as energy storage and conversion, sensors, and catalysis.

Green synthesis of CuO nanoparticles using Hibiscus sabdariffa L. extract to treat wastewater in Soba Sewage Treatment Plant, Sudan.

Looking for a cost-effective and ecofriendly method for wastewater treatment is a global challenge. Therefore, this study investigated the removal of wastewater pollutants using copper oxide nanoparticles (CuONPs). CuONPs synthesized by a green solution combustion synthesis (SCS) and characterized by ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy (UV-Vis), Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR), powder X-ray diffraction analysis (PXRD), and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) techniques. PXRD showed nanoparticle sizes ranging from 10 to 20 polycrystalline patterns indexed with two peaks corresponding to (111) and (113) reflections of the face-centered cubic CuO crystal. The energy-dispersive spectroscopy analysis obtained in conjunction with SEM analysis proved the presence of Cu and O atoms at 86.3 and 13.6%, respectively, confirming the reduction and capping of Cu with Hibiscus sabdariffa extract's phytochemicals. The CuONPs proved to be a promising decontaminant for wastewater found to reduce biochemical oxygen demand (BOD) and chemical oxygen demand (COD) by 56%, and very efficient in reducing both the total dissolved matter (TDS) and conductivity (σ) by 99%. The CuONPs removed simultaneously chromium, copper, and chloride with respective percentages of 26, 78.8, and 78.2%. Green synthesis of nanoparticles is a simple, rapid, cost-effective, and ecofriendly method that successfully removed contaminants from wastewater.

Modified Graphite Pencil Electrode Based on Graphene Oxide-Modified Fe3O4 for Ferrocene-Mediated Electrochemical Detection of Hemoglobin.

This study describes the synthesis of graphene oxide-modified magnetite (rGO/Fe3O4) and its use as an electrochemical sensor for the quantitative detection of hemoglobin (Hb). rGO is characterized by a 2θ peak at 10.03° in its X-ray diffraction, 1353 and 1586 cm-1 vibrations in Raman spectroscopy, while scanning electron microscopy coupled with energy-dispersive spectroscopy of rGO and rGO/Fe3O4 revealed the presence of microplate structures in both materials and high presence of iron in rGO/Fe3O4 with 50 wt %. The modified graphite pencil electrode, GPE/rGO/Fe3O4, is characterized using cyclic voltammetry. Higher electrochemical surface area is obtained when the GPE is modified with rGO/Fe3O4. Linear scan voltammetry is used to quantify Hb at the surface of the sensor using ferrocene (FC) as an electrochemical amplifier. Linear response for Hb is obtained in the 0.1-1.8 µM range with a regression coefficient of 0.995, a lower limit of detection of 0.090 µM, and a limit of quantitation of 0.28 µM. The sensor was free from interferents and successfully used to sense Hb in human urine. Due to the above-stated qualities, the GPE/rGO/Fe3O4 electrode could be a potential competitive sensor for trace quantities of Hb in physiological media.

Multi-functional silver nanoprism-titanium dioxide hybrid nanoarrays for trace-level SERS sensing and photocatalytic removal of hazardous organic pollutants.

Owing to the excellent optoelectronic properties of metal nanoparticle-semiconductor interfaces; hybrid substrates with superior catalytic and sensing properties can be designed. In the present study, we have attempted to evaluate anisotropic silver nanoprisms (SNP) functionalized titanium dioxide (TiO2) particles for multifunctional applications such as SERS sensing and photocatalytic decomposition of hazardous organic pollutants. Hierarchical TiO2/SNP hybrid arrays have been fabricated via facile and low-cost casting techniques. The structural, compositional, and optical characteristics of TiO2/SNP hybrid arrays were well elucidated and correlated to SERS activities. SERS studies revealed that TiO2/SNP nanoarrays possess almost 288 times enhancement compared to bare TiO2 substrates and 2.6 times enhancement than pristine SNP. The fabricated nanoarrays demonstrated detection limits down to 10-12 M concentration levels and lower spot-to-spot variability of âˆ¼ 11%. The photocatalytic studies showed that almost 94 and 86% of rhodamine B and methylene blue were decomposed within 90 min of visible light exposure. Besides, two times enhancement in photocatalytic activities of TiO2/SNP hybrid substrates was also observed than bare TiO2. The highest photocatalytic activity was exhibited by SNP to TiO2 molar ratio of 1.5 × 10-3. The electrochemical surface area and the interfacial electron-transfer resistance were increased with the increment in TiO2/SNP composite load from 3 to 7 wt%. Differential Pulse Voltammetry (DPV) analysis revealed a higher RhB degradation potential of TiO2/SNP arrays than SNP or TiO2. The synthesized hybrids exhibited excellent reusability without any significant deterioration in photocatalytic properties over five successive cycles. TiO2/SNP hybrid arrays were proved to be multiple platforms for sensing and degrading hazardous pollutants for environmental applications.

Graphene nanosheet-sandwiched platinum nanoparticles deposited on a graphite pencil electrode as an ultrasensitive sensor for dopamine.

An ultra-sensitive sensor of dopamine is introduced. The sensor is constructed by encapsulating platinum nanoparticles (PtNPs) between reduced graphene oxide (GR) nanosheets. The sandwiched PtNPs between GR layers acted as a spacer to prevent aggregation and provided a fine connection between the GR nanosheets to provide fast charge transfer. This specific orientation of the GR nanosheets and PtNPs on the graphite pencil electrode (GPE) substantially improved the electrocatalytic activity of the sensor. The synthesized graphene oxide and the fabricated sensor were comprehensively characterized by Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), Raman spectroscopy, field emission-scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM), electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS), cyclic voltammetry (CV), and square wave voltammetry (SWV). The value of the charge transfer coefficient (α), apparent heterogeneous electron transfer rate constant (k s), and electroactive surface area for dopamine were found to be about 0.57, 8.99 s-1, and 0.81 cm2, respectively. The developed sensor is highly sensitive towards dopamine, and the detection limit is 9.0 nM. The sensor response is linear for dopamine concentration from 0.06 to 20 µM (R 2 = 0.9991). The behavior of the sensor for dopamine in the presence of a high concentration of l(+) Ascorbic acid and other potential interferents was satisfactory. High recovery percentage between 90% and 105% in the human urine sample, good reproducibility, and facile fabrication of the electrode make it a good candidate for dopamine sensing.

Encapsulation Capacity of ß-Cyclodextrin Stabilized Silver Nanoparticles towards Creatinine Enhances the Colorimetric Sensing of Hydrogen Peroxide in Urine.

The ß-cyclodextrin shell of synthesized silver nanoparticles (ßCD-AgNPs) are found to enhance the detection of hydrogen peroxide in urine when compared to the Horse Radish Peroxidase assay kit. Nanoparticles are confirmed by the UV-Vis absorbance of their localized surface plasmonic resonance (LSPR) at 384 nm. The mean size of the ßCD-AgNPs is 53 nm/diameter; XRD analysis shows a face-centered cubic structure. The crystalline structure of type 4H hexagonal nature of the AgNPs with 2.4 nm ß-CD coating onto is confirmed using aberration corrected high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM). A silver atomic lattice at 2.50 Å and 2.41 Å corresponding to (100) and (101) Miller indices is confirmed using the HRTEM. The scope of ßCD-AgNPs to detect hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) in aqueous media and human urine is investigated. The test is optimized by examining the effect of volumes of nanoparticles, the pH of the medium, and the kinetic and temperature effect on H2O2 detection. The ßCD-AgNPs test is used as a refined protocol, which demonstrated improved sensitivity towards H2O2 in urine compared to the values obtained by the Horse Radish Assay kit. Direct assessment of H2O2 by the ßCD-AgNPs test presented always with a linear response in the nM, µM, and mM ranges with a limit of detection of 1.47 nM and a quantitation limit of 3.76 nM. While a linear response obtained from 1.3 to 37.3 nmoles of H2O2/mole creatinine with a slope of 0.0075 and regression coefficient of 0.9955 when the ßCD-AgNPs is used as refined test of creatinine. Values ranging from 34.62 ± 0.23 nmoles of H2O2/mole of creatinine and 54.61 ± 1.04 nmoles of H2O2/mole of creatinine when the matrix is not diluted and between 32.16 ± 0.42 nmoles of H2O2/mole of creatinine and 49.66 ± 0.80 nmoles of H2O2/mole of creatinine when the matrix is twice diluted are found in freshly voided urine of seven apparent healthy men aged between 20 and 40 years old.

Preparation of Sodalite and Faujasite Clay Composite Membranes and Their Utilization in the Decontamination of Dye Effluents.

The present work describes the deposition of two zeolite films, sodalite and faujasite, by the hydrothermal method to tune the mesopores of clay support, which are prepared from a widely available clay depot from the central region of Morocco (Midelt). The clay supports were prepared by a powder metallurgy method from different granulometries with activated carbon as a porosity agent, using uniaxial compression followed by a sintering process. The 160 µm ≤ Φ ≤ 250 µm support showed the highest water flux compared to the supports made from smaller granulometries with a minimum water flux of 1405 L.m-2·h-1 after a working time of 2 h and 90 min. This support was chosen for the deposition of sodalite (SOM) and faujasite (FAM) zeolite membranes. The X-ray diffraction of sodalite and faujasite showed that they were well crystallized, and the obtained spectra corresponded well with the sought phases. Such findings were confirmed by the SEM analysis, which showed that SOM was crystalized as fine particles while the FAM micrographs showed the existence of crystals with an average size ranging from 0.53 µm to 1.8 µm with a bipyramidal shape and a square or Cubo octahedral base. Nitrogen adsorption analysis showed that the pore sizes of the supports got narrowed to 2.28 nm after deposition of sodalite and faujasite. The efficiencies of SOM and FAM membranes were evaluated by filtration tests of solutions containing methyl orange (MO) using a flow loop, which were developed for dead-end filtration. The retention of methylene orange (MO) followed the order: SOM > FAM > 160 µm ≤ Φ ≤ 250 µm clay support with 55%, 48% and 35%, respectively. Size exclusion was the predominant mechanism of filtration of MO through SOM, FAM, and the support. However, the charge repulsion between the surface of the membrane and the negatively charged MO have not been ruled out. The point of zero charge (pzc) of the clay support, SOM and FAM membrane were pHpzc = 9.4, pHpzc = 10.6, and pHpzc = 11.4, respectively. Filtrations of MO were carried out between pH = 5.5 and pH = 6.5, which indicated that the surface of the membranes was positively charged while MO was negatively charged. The interaction of MO with the membranes might have happened through its vertical geometry.

Green Synthesis, Characterization, Antimicrobial, Anti-Cancer, and Optimization of Colorimetric Sensing of Hydrogen Peroxide of Algae Extract Capped Silver Nanoparticles.

A green and cost-effective technique for the preparation of silver nanoparticles (Algae-AgNPs) as a colorimetric sensor for hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) is described. Silver nanoparticles were capped using the green algae (Noctiluca scintillans) extract at an optimum time of 3 h at 80 °C. The pH of the plant extract (pH = 7.0) yields nanoparticles with a mean size of 4.13 nm and a zeta potential of 0.200 ± 0.02 mV and negative polarity, using dynamic light scattering (DLS). High-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM) analysis showed regular spherical particles with the average size of 4.5 nm. Selected area electron diffraction (SAED) results revealed the polycrystalline nature of the silver nanoparticles. The obtained patterns were indexed as (111), (200), (220), and (311) reflections of the fcc (face centered cubic) silver crystal based on their d-spacing of 2.47, 2.13, 1.49, and 1.27 Å, respectively. The apparent color change from brown to colorless was observed when nanoparticles reacted with H2O2. Linear responses were obtained in three different ranges (nM, µM, and mM). Limits of detection (LOD) of 1.33 ± 0.02 and 1.77 ± 0.02 nM and quantitation limits (LOQ) of 7.31 ± 0.03 and 9.67 ± 0.03 nM were obtained for Abs and ΔAbs calibration curves, respectively. 10% v/v Algae-AgNPs solution inhibited Staphylococcus aureus over Escherichia coli, while a 50% reduction of tumor cell growth of MDA-MB-231 human breast adenocarcinoma was obtained.

Dataset of multiple methodology characterization of an illite-kaolinite clay mineral for the purpose of using it as ceramic membrane supports.

This article describes the data generated from multiple approach methodology physico-chemical characterization of a clay mineral from the West-Central region of Morocco, Safi province (https://doi.org/10.1016/j.heliyon.2019.e02281) [1]. Data were generated from classical chemical analytical techniques namely; organic matter content, linear firing and shrinkage analysis, weight loss on ignition, porosity and methylene blue stain tests according to the French Association of Normalization (AFNOR) and American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM). In addition to data generated using instrumental analytical techniques namely; Infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), thermal gravimetric analysis (TGA) and deferential thermal analysis (DTA), X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and elemental energy disperse spectroscopy (EDX).

Dataset in the characterization of black spot Ehrenberg snapper and its proteins' denaturation inhibition by natural antioxidants.

The data represented in this paper describe techniques, methodologies and data obtained during the biochemical composition characterization of Blackspot Snapper (Ehrenberg's Snapper). Data analysis of protein, lipids, moisture, ash contents of Ehrenberg's snapper, total polyphenols, total flavonoids contents and the DPPH scavenging activities of Cinnamon (Cinnamomum verum J. Presl) bark (50 mg/50 g), cumin (Cuminum cyminum L.) (50 mg/50 g), turmeric (Turmerica longa L.) (50 mg/50 g), garlic (Allium sativum L.) (50 mg/50 g), ginger (Zingiber officinale Roscoe) (50 mg/50 g) and Vitamin C (25 mg/50 g) are represented. Data obtained from the Infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) analysis of the six spices and vitamin C treated and stored fillets at -25 °C, namely three vibrations, Amide A, NH stretching at 3300 cm-1; Amide I, C=O stretching 1600-1690 cm-1 and Amide II, CN stretching and NH bending at 1480-1575 cm-1. Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) analysis data of three main denaturations; myosin, actin and sarcoplasmic proteins are presented.

Erratum to "Characterization of the firing behaviour of an illite-kaolinite clay mineral and its potential use as membrane support" [Heliyon 5, (8), (August 2019), e02281].

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2019.e02281.].

Characterization of the firing behaviour of an illite-kaolinite clay mineral and its potential use as membrane support.

The commercial value of any clay depends on its physical and chemical properties, these could help in tuning the characteristics of ceramic membrane supports required at extreme filtration conditions. The characteristics of two clay minerals named SA and CH were studied at various firing temperatures. The composition in oxides of both raw materials consisted of quartz (44.40 ± 0.60 to 46.98 ± 0.57 m%), alumina (13.16 ± 0.56 to 19.64 ± 0.48 m%), iron oxide (4.85 ± 0.46 to 6.37 ± 0.70 m %), and relatively smaller amounts of alkaline-earth oxides (3.34 ± 0.43 to 5.98 ± 0.33 m% calcium oxide and 1.98 ± 0.18 to 5.87 ± 0.34 m% for magnesium oxide). XRD of the investigated samples indicated the presence of kaolinite and illite as pure clay fractions in the clay mineral. SEM showed that the clay minerals were constituted from fine poorly crystalline particles with particles' size more than 5 µm. The specific surface areas of the clay minerals were found to vary between 94.5 ± 6.3 to 138.6 ± 4.2 m2/g using methylene blue stain test, indicating that, the clay minerals fall within chlorite, illite, and kaolinite categories. The porosity of the clay supports made from both clays were found to be maximal with values of 23.45% ± 0.66 and 21.61% ± 0.60 for SA and CH clay materials respectively at 700°C. These values were a direct result of capillary movements of water in the specimen pores that were opened to the outside leading to the highest number macropores and mesopores in the specimen.

The Effects of Storage on Quality and Nutritional Values of Ehrenberg's Snapper Muscles (Lutjanus Ehrenbergi): Evaluation of Natural Antioxidants Effect on the Denaturation of Proteins.

: Protein denaturation in frozen minced fillets (Ehrenberg's Snapper), stored at -25°C was studied; 50.0 mg biomass/50g mince fillets treated with cinnamon, cumin, turmeric, garlic, ginger and 25.0 mg of vitamin C were used to slow protein denaturation. FT-IR stretching vibration of Amide-A (νNH) at 3300 cm-1; Amide-I stretching (νC=O) between 1600-1690 cm-1 and Amide-II stretching (νCN) and bending (δNH) between 1480 and 1575cm-1 were used as marker peaks. Garlic was the most significant (P ≤0.01) in controlling the rate of protein denaturation when νNH was used as a marker peak. DSC analysis showed that turmeric presented the highest effect on delaying the denaturation of sarcoplasmic proteins with a ∆H0=73.7J/g followed by garlic-treated mince fillets ∆H0=70.1J/g. All spices used were efficient in stopping the denaturation of myosin with the highest ∆H0=769.3 J/g registered for cinnamon-treated mince fillets. Actin was less vulnerable to denaturation in comparison to myosin and sarcoplasmic proteins.

Dataset in the production of composite clay-zeolite membranes made from naturally occurring clay minerals.

The data presented in this article are generated as part of the research article entitled "from a naturally occurring material (clay mineral) to the production of porous ceramic membranes" (Elgamouz and Tijani, 2018) [1]. This article describe how clays as very abundant versatile materials that have many properties not available in pure materials namely, silica, alumina and zirconia can be used for the preparation of ceramic membranes (Karaborni et al., 1996; Oun et al., 2017; Hollanders et al., 2016; de Oliveira Henriques et al., 2017) [2], [3], [4], [5]. This paper presents data obtained at different stages of the fabrication of a clay-zeolite composite ceramic membrane made from a largely available clay from the central region of Morocco (Meknes). The data include the characterization of the clay powder using XRD, FTIR, thermogravimetric (TGA and TDA) analysis of the clay powder. The data of porosity, mesoporosity, specific surface area, volumes of the pores, volumes of mesopores, diameters of the pores using mercury intrusion porosimetry and adsorption desorption of nitrogen data that was computed from BET and BJH theories of the clay supports at different firing temperatures (700, 750, 800, 850 and 900 °C). Data obtained from measurement of nitrogen permeation of support alone and that of the silicalite membranes are also represented.