Nanoscale dispersing of zero-valent iron on CaCO3 and their significant synergistic effect in high performance removal of lead.

Rapid aggregation and deactivation of nanoscale zero-valent iron (nZVI) hinder its application in environmental remediation. In this work, micro-scale CaCO3 is used as a dispersive carrier of nZVI to create a novel composite, CaCO3-supported nZVI (nZVI@CaCO3), through simplified liquid-phase reduction strategy. The morphology analysis shows that CaCO3 exhibits a fagot-like structure, and Fe0 particles are well dispersed on CaCO3 with an average diameter of around 15 nm. The removal of Pb(II) from water by nZVI@CaCO3 is studied, and it is found that the removal capacity of lead is as high as 3828 mg/g, which is much greater than that by neat CaCO3 (2209 mg/g) and bare nZVI (1308 mg/g). Owing to the loading of Fe (50%) in nZVI@CaCO3, a significant synergistic effect is observed between CaCO3 and nZVI in high performance removal of lead. Furthermore, a possible removal mechanism is proposed from a comparative investigation on the surface valence state and nZVI@CaCO3 phase before and after absorption of Pb(II). Considering the advantages of improved dispersibility, easy preparation and remarkable performance, the as-prepared nZVI@CaCO3 has the potential to become a promising remediation material for Pb(II) polluted water.

Using ionic liquid monomer to improve the selective recognition performance of surface imprinted polymer for sulfamonomethoxine in strong polar medium.

Molecularly imprinted polymers (MIPs) synthesized by conventional functional monomers have poor specific recognition ability in strong polar solvent, which is not favorable to their applications in separation and analysis. In this work, an ionic liquid functional monomer, 1-allyl-3-vinylimidazolium chloridize, is introduced to prepare sulfamonomethoxine imprinted polymer on the surface of silica carriers in methanol. 1H NMR and 35Cl NMR spectroscopy is performed to discuss the interactions between template and the functional monomer. The rebinding experiments show that the MIP has excellent selectivity towards sulfonamide antibiotic (sulfamonomethoxine, sulfamethoxazole and sulfadiazine) in methanol. From 1H NMR and 35Cl NMR analysis and selective adsorption results, it was inferred that hydrogen bond, electrostatic and π-π interactions are the driving force for the selective recognition of MIP in methanol. Combined solid phase extraction (SPE) with HPLC detection, 98.0-108.0% of sulfamonomethoxine have been extracted by MIP-SPE cartridge from the mixture of sulfamonomethoxine, diphenylamine and N-butylpyridinium chloride. Under optimal condition, the proposed MIP-SPE column can response sulfamonomethoxine linearly in the concentration range from 3.0-1.0×104 µg L-1, and the established MIP-SPE-HPLC system has been successfully applied for extraction and analysis of sulfamonomethoxine in soil and sediment with recoveries ranging from 95.0% to 105.0%.

Highly efficient removal of ceftiofur sodium using a superior hydroxyl group functionalized ionic liquid-modified polymer.

The occurrence of cephalosporin antibiotics in water resources has caused increasing concerns about their potential effects on ecosystem and human health. However, reports on the efficient removal of these antibiotics are limited. In this work, a superior hydroxyl-functionalized ionic liquid based polymer (PS-[Hemim][Cl]) was prepared for highly efficient removal of ceftiofur sodium (CFS) antibiotic from aqueous solutions, and the effect of various factors on the adsorption was investigated. It was found that the PS-[Hemim][Cl] exhibited a super-high adsorption capacity of 1260.5 mg/g for CFS within 60 min and kept high removal efficiency in a wide range of antibiotic concentrations from 5 ppb level to 1000 mg/L. Even the concentration of common inorganic ions was 1000 times higher than that of CFS, the adsorption efficiency remained above 93%. At the same time, the PS-[Hemim][Cl] showed excellent adsorption performance for the antibiotics with similar structure to CFS. Compared with commercially available adsorbents, the adsorption capacity of PS-[Hemim][Cl] for CFS was 4-468 times higher under the same experimental conditions. The application of PS-[Hemim][Cl] to real wastewater containing different concentrations of CFS was investigated and promising results were reported. Additionally, preliminary mechanism studies suggested that electrostatic attraction, hydrogen bond and ion exchange synergistically contributed to the highly efficient adsorption of CFS.

Highly efficient photocatalytic removal of multiple refractory organic pollutants by BiVO4/CH3COO(BiO) heterostructured nanocomposite.

Highly efficient photocatalytic degradation of refractory organic contaminants in wastewater remains a great challenge due to low quantum efficiency and poor solar energy utilization of the currently employed photocatalysts. Herein, a novel BiVO4/CH3COO(BiO) heterojunction photocatalyst is designed and prepared by a simple one-pot solvothermal method, and characterized by various techniques. By using this photocatalyst, degradation efficiency of four kinds of emerging refractory organic pollutants (sulfamethoxazole, bisphenol A, 4­aminoantipyrine and ibuprofen) in water is investigated under simulated solar irradiation. Then, total organic carbon is measured to determine the mineralization degree, and degradation intermediates of the pollutants are identified to propose their degradation pathway. It is found that under the given conditions, complete degradation of the pollutants is observed within the irradiation of 5-24 h, and 81-96% mineralization degree is achieved in 24 h. Furthermore, it is shown that the degradation kinetics can be described by pseudo-first order model. Based on the detected intermediates during the degradation process of 4­aminoantipyrine and ibuprofen, the degradation pathways of these two pollutants are suggested to involve cleavage of side chain, heterocyclic ring opening and hydroxylation of aromatic ring. In addition, the application of the BiVO4/CH3COO(BiO) heterojunction photocatalyst in the purification of the spiked real wastewater is also investigated.

Ultra-small and recyclable zero-valent iron nanoclusters for rapid and highly efficient catalytic reduction of p-nitrophenol in water.

The synthesis of nanoscale zero-valent iron (NZVI) nanoclusters with dimensions ranging from 20 to 100 nm for the control of environmental pollutants has received substantial attention. However, due to the strong van der Waals and magnetic attraction forces of ZVI, synthesizing ZVI nanoclusters with a subnanometre size while retaining their surface activity and avoiding aggregation is challenging. Moreover, NZVI particles can be oxidized easily after the removal of contaminants even in anoxic environments, which makes the recovery and recycling of the particles very difficult. Here, for the first time, ultra-small zero-valent iron (ZVI) nanoclusters are successfully prepared in a micelle assisted method under mild conditions, and can be recycled simply. It is found that by encapsulating Fe3+ within the micelles, controlling the release of sulfur ions (S2-) from thiourea and forming the FeS nanoparticles as intermediates, the ZVI nanoclusters are produced with a precisely controlled size (<1 nm). A large number of zero-valent iron nanoclusters were assembled into quasi-spherical assemblages (with around 5 nm size), in which most of the nanoclusters exist discretely because of being coated by entangled hydrocarbon chains of the surfactant. The ZVI nanoclusters (with a diameter of <1 nm) exhibit excellent dispersibility and accessibility in solution, presenting significantly enhanced catalytic activity in the removal of p-nitrophenol from water. The as-prepared ZVI nanoclusters possess excellent stability and durability with the aid of NaBH4. Their catalytic activity/reusability can be comparable to those of the commonly used noble metal catalysts.

Association between single nucleotide polymorphism rs11057401 of CCDC92 gene and the risk of coronary heart disease (CHD).

BACKGROUND: Given that the CCDC92 (coiled-coil domain containing 92) was important in insulin resistance, we sought to investigate whether the CCDC92 rs825476 SNP is associated with the risk of CHD in Chinese Han population. METHODS: Rs11057401 was genotyped for 817 patients with CHD and 724 age- and sex-matched controls using PCR-based Invader assay with the probe sets designed and synthesized by third wave. RESULTS: Patients were found to have a significantly higher frequency of AA than the controls (23.5% vs. 14.7%, OR = 1.60, p = 0.000), and the frequency of allele A was found to be remarkably higher in the patients than the controls (48.1% vs. 40.3%, OR = 1.19, p = 0.000). Multivariate logistic analysis showed that the incidence of CHD was positively correlated with hyperlipidemia, T2D and rs11057401 AA/AT genotypes. The FPG, TC, and ApoA1 levels in the CHD patients were different among the AA, AT and TT genotypes (P < 0.05), the A allele carriers had higher FPG, TC and lower ApoA1 levels than the A allele non-carriers (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: The genotypic and allelic frequencies of the rs11057401 SNP were significantly different between the patients with CHD and controls. Subjects with AA genotype or A allele were associated with an increased risk of CHD. The AA/AT genotypes were also associated with increased serum FPG, TC and decreased ApoA1 in CHD.

One stone two birds: novel carbon nanotube/Bi4VO8Cl photocatalyst for simultaneous organic pollutants degradation and Cr(VI) reduction.

In this work, visible light-responsive carbon nanotubes (CNTs)/Bi4VO8Cl composite photocatalysts have been prepared by a facile in situ hydrothermal method and characterized by various techniques. The photocatalytic properties of the photocatalysts are evaluated by the degradation of refractory azo-dye methyl orange (MO), hexavalent chromium Cr(VI), and bisphenol A (BPA) in water under visible light irradiation. It is found that the as-prepared composite with 4 wt% CNTs shows an optimal photocatalytic performance, and its photocatalytic activity is 30% higher than that of pure Bi4VO8Cl. The enhanced photocatalytic activity is ascribed to the synergetic effects induced by increased light absorption, increased adsorption efficiency for pollutant, and suppressed recombination rate of photogenerated charge carriers. Furthermore, efficient removals of Cr(VI), bisphenol A (BPA), and combined contamination of Cr(VI) and BPA over CNTs/Bi4VO8Cl composite further confirm that the degradation of organic pollutants is a photocatalytic mechanism rather than photosensitization of dye. Of particular importance is that removal efficiency of single pollutant can be promoted by the coexistence of the Cr(VI) and organics. The mechanism of synergetic promotion is discussed and attributed to the accelerated separation of charge carriers resulted from their simultaneously being captured by pollutants. Moreover, the CNTs/Bi4VO8Cl composite exhibits good stability and recycling performance in the photocatalytic degradation process. Therefore, the composite photocatalysts developed in the present work are expected to have the potential in purification of complex wastewater. Graphical abstract The separation of photogenerated charge carriers and adsorbing capacity as well as visible light absorption ability of Bi4VO8Cl are significantly promoted by coupling with carbon nanotubes. Simultaneous removal of Cr(VI) and organic pollutants can be achieved by CNTs/Bi4VO8Cl composite photocatalysts under visible light irradiation.

[Relationship between serum galectin-3 levels and mortality of subacute on chronic liver failure].

OBJECTIVE: To study the correlation between clinically detected serum galectin-3 levels and prognosis of liver failure. METHODS: Fifty-five patients diagnosed with liver failure were administered a combined modality therapy and followed up until death or for 6 months. Fifty-five patients with liver failure were administered a combined modality therapy and followed up until death or for 6 months. In addition, 30 patients with chronic hepatitis B (CHB) and 30 healthy volunteers were matched for use as controls. Serum galectin-3 levels were detected at baseline and last follow-up visit and compared between groups by statistical analysis. RESULTS: At baseline, the CHB group had a significantly higher level of serum galectin-3 than the healthy control group (F=2.701, P less than 0.01). However, the galectin-3 level 5 of the liver failure group was significantly higher than that of both the CHB group (F=8.121, P less than 0.01) and the healthy control group (F=11.231, P less than 0.01). When patients within the liver failure group were divided by survival and death occurring during the 6-month follow-up period, the patients who died (n=28) were found to have a significantly higher level of serum galectin-3 than the surviving patients (n=27) (P less than 0.01). The area under the curve of ROC curve is 0.766, and cut off value is 0.246 5 ng/ml. CONCLUSION: The level of serum galectin-3 is positively correlated with risk of death in patients with liver failure. Up-regulation of galectin-3 may act as a protective factor in patients with severe liver injury.