Efficient removal of Cu2+ and methylene blue pollutants from an aqueous solution by applying a new hybrid adsorbent based on alginate-chitosan and HAP derived from Moroccan rock phosphate.

Alginate-chitosan/hydroxyapatite (Alg-Cs/HAP) beads were prepared as adsorbent to remove methylene blue (MB) and copper ions from an aqueous solution using a batch system. FTIR, TGA, point of zero charge (pHpzc), SEM, XRD, and BET analysis were used to characterize the elaborated material. The effect of several parameters such as initial pH value, adsorbent dose, temperature, contact time, and initial pollutant concentration were also investigated. The obtained results showed that Alg-Cs/HAP exhibit excellent adsorption properties for Cu (II) and MB removal, with high adsorption capacities of copper ions (208.34 mg/g) and methylene blue (454.54 mg/g). The kinetic of the adsorption process is correlated with the pseudo-first-order for methylene blue and the pseudo-second-order for copper ions. The equilibrium data for MB dye fitted the Freundlich isotherm model, thus implying that the adsorption process consists of multilayer adsorption as well as interactions between the adsorbate and the adsorbent. The equilibrium data for copper ions corresponds closely with the Langmuir model which suggests that the adsorbed molecules occur over a monolayer. Various thermodynamic parameters such as the standard Gibbs energy (ΔG°), standard enthalpy (ΔH°), and standard entropy (ΔS°) were calculated. All results indicated that Alg-Cs/HAP material has a good potential for the treatment of wastewater.

Experimental Design-Based Response Surface Methodology Optimization for Synthesis of ß-Mercapto Carbonyl Derivatives as Antimycobacterial Drugs Catalyzed by Calcium Pyrophosphate.

A simple protocol for the efficient preparation of ß-mercapto carbonyl derivatives as antimycobacterial drugs has been achieved via Thia-Michael reaction between chalcones derivatives and thiols in the presence of calcium pyrophosphate as a heterogeneous catalyst under mild reaction conditions. The central composite design was used to design an experimental program to provide data to model the effects of various factors on reaction yield (Y). The variables chosen were catalyst weight (X 1), reaction time (X 2), and solvent volume (X 3). The mathematical relationship of reaction yield on the three significant independent variables can be approximated by a nonlinear polynomial model. Predicted values were found to be in good agreement with experimental values. The optimum reaction conditions for reaction model (chalcone and thiophenol) obtained by response surface were applied to other substrates. This procedure provides several advantages such as high yield, clean product formation, and short reaction time.

New eco-friendly animal bone meal catalysts for preparation of chalcones and aza-Michael adducts.

UNLABELLED: Two efficient reactions were successfully carried out using Animal Bone Meal (ABM) and potassium fluoride or sodium nitrate doped ABMs as new heterogeneous catalysts under very mild conditions. After preparation and characterization of the catalysts, we first report their use in a simple and convenient synthesis of various chalcones by Claisen-Schmidt condensation and then in an aza-Michael addition involving several synthesized chalcones with aromatic amines. All the reactions were carried out at room temperature in methanol; the chalcone synthesis was also achieved in water environment under microwave irradiation. Doping ABM enhances the rate and yield at each reaction. Catalytic activities are discussed and the ability to re-use the ABM is demonstrated. RESULTS: For Claisen-Schmidt the use of ABM alone, yields never exceeded 17%. In each entry, KF/ABM and NaNO3/ABM (79-97%) gave higher yields than using ABM alone under thermic condition. Also the reaction proceeded under microwave irradiation in good yields (72-94% for KF/ABM and 81-97% for NaNO3/ABM) and high purity. For aza-Michael addition the use of ABM doped with KF or NaNO3 increased the catalytic activity remarkably. The very high yields could be noted (84-95% for KF/ABM and 81-94% for NaNO3/ABM). CONCLUSION: The present method is an efficient and selective procedure for the synthesis of chalcones an aza-Michael adducts. The ABM and doped ABMs are a new, inexpensive and attractive solid supports which can contribute to the development of catalytic processes and reduced environmental problems.

Colour and COD removal of disperse dye solution by a novel coagulant: application of statistical design for the optimization and regression analysis.

The investigation presented here focussed on the steel industrial wastewater (SIWW) FeCl(3) rich as an original coagulant to remove the synthetic textile wastewater. Response surface methodology was used to study the cumulative effect of the various parameters namely, coagulant dosage, initial pH of dye solution, dye concentration and to optimize the process conditions for the decolourization and COD reduction of disperse blue 79 solution. For obtaining the mutual interaction between the variables and optimizing these variables, a 2(3) full factorial central composite rotatable design using response surface methodology was employed. The efficiencies of decolourization and COD reduction for disperse blue 79 solution were accomplished at optimum conditions as 99% and 94%, respectively.