Synthesis of New Modified with Rhodamine B Peptides for Antiviral Protection of Textile Materials.

Here we report on the synthesis and characterization of three new N-modified analogues of hemorphin-4 with rhodamine B. Modified with chloroacetyl, chloride cotton fabric has been dyed and color coordinates of the obtained textile materials were determined. Antiviral and virucidal activities of both the peptide-rhodamine B compounds and the dyed textile material were studied. Basic physicochemical properties (acid-base behavior, solvent influence, kinetics) related to the elucidation of structural activity of the new modified peptides based on their steric open/closed ring effect were studied. The obtained results lead to the conclusion that in protic solvent with change in pH of the environment, direct control over the dyeing of textiles can be achieved. Both the new hybrid peptide compounds and the modification of functionalized textile materials with these bioactive hemorphins showed virucidal activity against the human respiratory syncytial virus (HRSV-S2) and human adenovirus serotype 5 (HAdV-5) for different time intervals (30 and 60 min) and the most active compound was Rh-3.

Synthesis of Fe2SiO4-Fe7Co3 Nanocomposite Dispersed in the Mesoporous SBA-15: Application as Magnetically Separable Adsorbent.

The mixture containing alloy and oxide with iron-based phases has shown interesting properties compared to the isolated species and the synergy between the phases has shown positive effect on dye adsorption. This paper describes the synthesis of Fe2SiO4-Fe7Co3-based nanocomposite dispersed in Santa Barbara Amorphous (SBA)-15 and its application in dye adsorption followed by magnetic separation. Thus, it was studied the variation of reduction temperature and amount of hydrogen used in synthesis and the effect of these parameters on the physicochemical properties of the iron and cobalt based oxide/alloy mixture, as well as the methylene blue adsorption capacity. The XRD and Mössbauer results, along with the temperature-programmed reduction (TPR) profiles, confirmed the formation of Fe2SiO4-Fe7Co3-based nanocomposites. Low-angle XRD, N2 isotherms, and TEM images show the formation of the SBA-15 based mesoporous support with a high surface area (640 m2/g). Adsorption tests confirmed that the material reduced at 700 °C using 2% of H2 presented the highest adsorption capacity (49 mg/g). The nanocomposites can be easily separated from the dispersion by applying an external magnetic field. The interaction between the dye and the nanocomposite occurs mainly by π-π interactions and the mixture of the Fe2SiO4 and Fe7Co3 leads to a synergistic effect, which favor the adsorption.

Magnetic mesoporous polyimide composite for efficient extraction of Rhodamine B in food samples.

A core-shell structured magnetic polyimide composite has been synthesized by the covalent coating of a mesoporous polyimide polymer onto the surface of magnetite nanoparticles. The nanocomposite was characterized by scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, N2 adsorption-desorption isotherms, X-ray diffraction, infrared spectroscopy, and vibrating sample magnetometry. The results showed that the prepared composite had a large surface area (306.45 m²/g), a unique pore size (2.15 nm), and strong magnetic properties (45.7 emµ/g), rendering it a promising sorbent material for magnetic solid-phase extraction. The parameters that affect the extraction efficiency of rhodamine B were optimized with the assistance of response surface methodology. Under the optimal conditions, the developed method has been successfully applied to determine the rhodamine B in food samples. The linearities and limits of detection of rhodamine B in hot pepper, red wine, and chili powder samples were measured. Satisfactory recoveries in the range of 94.8-103.3% with relative standard deviations <5.5% were obtained. Investigation of the adsorption mechanism of magnetic polyimide composite indicated that multiple interactions, including hydrophobic, π-π, and hydrogen bonding interactions, were involved in the adsorption process.

In Situ Synthesis of MIL-100(Fe) at the Surface of Fe3O4@AC as Highly Efficient Dye Adsorbing Nanocomposite.

A new magnetic nanocomposite called MIL-100(Fe) @Fe3O4@AC was synthesized by the hydrothermal method as a stable adsorbent for the removal of Rhodamine B (RhB) dye from aqueous medium. In this work, in order to increase the carbon uptake capacity, magnetic carbon was first synthesized and then the Fe3O4 was used as the iron (III) supplier to synthesize MIL-100(Fe). The size of these nanocomposite is about 30-50 nm. Compared with activated charcoal (AC) and magnetic activated charcoal (Fe3O4@AC) nanoparticles, the surface area of MIL-100(Fe) @Fe3O4@AC were eminently increased while the magnetic property of this adsorbent was decreased. The surface area of AC, Fe3O4@AC, and MIL-100(Fe) @Fe3O4@AC was 121, 351, and 620 m2/g, respectively. The magnetic and thermal property, chemical structure, and morphology of the MIL-100(Fe) @Fe3O4@AC were considered by vibrating sample magnetometer (VSM), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), zeta potential, X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Brunner-Emmet-Teller (BET), and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) analyses. The relatively high adsorption capacity was obtained at about 769.23 mg/g compared to other adsorbents to eliminate RhB dye from the aqueous solution within 40 min. Studies of adsorption kinetics and isotherms showed that RhB adsorption conformed the Langmuir isotherm model and the pseudo second-order kinetic model. Thermodynamic amounts depicted that the RhB adsorption was spontaneous and exothermic process. In addition, the obtained nanocomposite exhibited good reusability after several cycles. All experimental results showed that MIL-100(Fe) @Fe3O4@AC could be a prospective sorbent for the treatment of dye wastewater.

Synthesis of nitrogen-doped carbon nanotubes-FePO4 composite from phosphate residue and its application as effective Fenton-like catalyst for dye degradation.

Phosphate residue is regarded as a hazardous waste, which could potentially create significant environmental and health problems if it is not properly treated and disposed of. In this study, nitrogen-doped carbon nanotubes-FePO4 (NCNTs-FePO4) composite was successfully synthesized from phosphate residue, and its application as an effective catalyst was explored. Firstly, an effective method was developed to recover FePO4 from phosphate residue, achieving an impressive FePO4 mass recovery rate of 98.14%. Then, the NCNTs-FePO4 catalyst was synthesized from the recovered FePO4 by two main reactions, including surface modification and chemical vapor deposition. Finally, the synthesized NCNTs-FePO4 was applied to photo-degrade 15 mg/L Rhodamine B (RhB) in a Fenton-like system. The results showed that 98.9% of RhB could be degraded in 60 min, closely following the pseudo-first-order kinetics model. It was found that even after six consecutive cycles, NCNTs-FePO4 still retained a high catalytic capacity (>50%). Moreover, •OH radicals participating in the RhB degradation process were evidenced using quenching experiments and electron paramagnetic resonance analysis, and a rational mechanism was proposed. It was demonstrated that the materials synthesized from hazardous phosphate residue can be used as an effective catalyst for dye removal.

Improved Extraction Repeatability and Spectral Reproducibility for Liquid Extraction Surface Analysis-Mass Spectrometry Using Superhydrophobic-Superhydrophilic Patterning.

A major problem limiting reproducible use of liquid extraction surface analysis (LESA) array sampling of dried surface-deposited liquid samples is the unwanted spread of extraction solvent beyond the dried sample limits, resulting in unreliable data. Here, we explore the use of the Droplet Microarray (DMA), which consists of an array of superhydrophilic spots bordered by a superhydrophobic material giving the potential to confine both the sample spot and the LESA extraction solvent in a defined area. We investigated the DMA method in comparison with a standard glass substrate using LESA analysis of a mixture of biologically relevant compounds with a wide mass range and different physicochemical properties. The optimized DMA method was subsequently applied to urine samples from a human intervention study. Relative standard deviations for the signal intensities were all reduced at least 3-fold when performing LESA-MS on the DMA surface compared with a standard glass surface. Principal component analysis revealed more tight clusters indicating improved spectral reproducibility for a human urine sample extracted from the DMA compared to glass. Lastly, in urine samples from an intervention study, more significant ions (145) were identified when using LESA-MS spectra of control and test urine extracted from the DMA. We demonstrate that DMA provides a surface-assisted LESA-MS method delivering significant improvement of the surface extraction repeatability leading to the acquisition of more robust and higher quality data. The DMA shows potential to be used for LESA-MS for controlled and reproducible surface extraction and for acquisition of high quality, qualitative data in a high-throughput manner.

Multiple response optimization for high efficiency energy saving treatment of rhodamine B wastewater in a three-dimensional electrochemical reactor.

The removal of high-concentration rhodamine B (RhB) wastewater was investigated in a three-dimensional electrochemical reactor (3DER) packed with granular activated carbon (GAC) particle electrodes. Response surface methodology (RSM) coupled with grey relational analysis (GRA) was used to evaluate the effects of voltage, initial pH, aeration rate and NaCl dosage on RhB removal and energy consumption of the 3DER. The optimal conditions were determined as voltage 7.25 V, pH 5.99, aeration rate 151.13 mL/min, and NaCl concentration 0.11 mol/L. After 30 min electrolysis, COD removal rate could arrive at 60.13% with an extremely low energy consumption of 6.22 kWh/kg COD. The voltage and NaCl were demonstrated to be the most significant factors affecting the COD removal and energy consumption of 3DER. The intermediates generated during the treatment process were identified and the possible degradation pathway of RhB was proposed. It is worth noting that 3DER also showed an excellent performance in total nitrogen (TN) removal under the optimal condition. The activated chlorine generated from chloride had great contributions to eliminate carbon and nitrogen of RhB wastewater. The treatment effluent had a good biodegradability, which was suitable for subsequent biological treatment.

Iron impregnated biochars as heterogeneous Fenton catalyst for the degradation of acid red 1 dye.

In the present work, Acid Red 1 (AR1) dye degradation by two heterogeneous Fenton catalysts, namely iron loaded rice husk biochar (Fe-RHB) and coir pith biochar (Fe-CPB) are studied. Biochar prepared from RHB and CPB were sonicated in the presence of ferric nitrate for the synthesis of Fe-RHB and Fe-CPB by incipient impregnation method. Effect of operational parameters such as pH, the dosage of catalyst, H2O2 concentration and temperature were examined. Characterization of the synthesized Fenton catalyst, Fe-RHB and Fe-CPB were analysed by SEM, EDS, XRD and XPS techniques. In Fe-RHB Fenton system, maximum dye removal efficiency of 97.6% and TOC removal efficiency of 84.2% were obtained at pH 3 for 50 mg L-1 of AR1 concentration, with 16 mM of H2O2 and 5 g L-1 of catalyst dosage within 120 min reaction time. Similarly, for Fe-CPB, maximum dye removal efficiency of 99.1% and TOC removal efficiency of 86.7% were obtained with 16 mM of H2O2 and 4 g L-1 of dosage for 50 mg L-1 of initial dye concentration at pH 3. The prepared catalysts can be reused for successive cycles as the catalyst materials are highly stable and have very less iron leaching property.

Response surface optimization, kinetic and thermodynamic studies for effective removal of rhodamine B by magnetic AC/CeO2 nanocomposite.

The activated carbon (AC) was obtained from waste scrap tires and modified by bimetallic Fe and Ce nanoparticles in order to combine both the high surface area and the active sites for enhanced adsorption of the dye. The produced nanocomposite was used as a novel cost-effective magnetic in rhodamine B (RhB) removal from aqueous solutions. The FT-IR, SEM, EDX, TEM, and surface area analysis methods were implemented to characterize the morphological, chemical, thermal and surface properties of the developed adsorbent. The optimum batch experimental conditions were found under the response surface methodology. The adsorption equilibrium data were well fitted by the Langmuir isotherm model. The adsorption capacity was 324.6 mg g-1. The kinetic and thermodynamics studies were also carried out to understand the adsorption mechanism. The study indicated that RhB adsorption by the AC/Fe/Ce magnetic adsorbent has an endothermic character and followed the pseudo-second-order kinetics model. By using ethanol solution, RhB was desorbed at high efficiency and the prepared material could be recycled for up to ten cycles. Thus, the magnetic nanocomposite is an effective and promising adsorbent for the cleaning treatment of RhB ions from wastewater by a large scale designed adsorption system.

Effect of hydrophobic and hydrophilic nanoparticles loaded in D2EHPA/M2EHPA - PTFE supported liquid membrane for simultaneous cationic dyes pertraction.

Cationic dyes mixture pertraction experiments of Rhodamine B (RhB) and Methylene Blue (MB) using a flat sheet supported liquid membrane (SLM) were performed. Mono-(2-etylhexyl) ester of phosphoric acid (M2EHPA) and bis-(2-etylhexyl) ester of phosphoric acid (D2EHPA) mixture was used as carrier and Sesame oil to dilute the carrier due to its very high viscosity. Acetic acid (AA) was also used as stripper phase. Influences of hydrophobic and hydrophilic nanoparticles were loaded in a carrier at different loadings (from 0 to 6 mg mL-1) on dyes pertraction at constant operating conditions were investigated. It was found that hydrophilic nanoparticles, including ZnO and TiO2 decrease dyes pertraction, while hydrophobic nanoparticles, including ZIF-8 and Fe3O4 favorably increase this parameter. ZIF-8 was found as the most effective nanoparticles on increasing dyes pertraction and the optimum loading was 2 mg mL-1. Also, the important process parameters that influence on the dyes mixture pertraction efficiency such as feed concentration, carrier concentration, feed pH and strip concentration were studied. In order to investigate the effects of operating parameters, all experiments were performed at a constant 2 mg mL-1 ZIF-8 loading. Optimum pertraction efficiency of RhB and MB were 90.6 and 79.4%, respectively. They were obtained after 10 h pertraction at optimum experimental conditions with feed concentration of 100 mg L-1, carrier concentration of 35% (vol), strip concentration of 0.5 mol L-1, and feed pH of 6. Effect of time on pertraction efficiencies at the optimum conditions were also studied.

Determination of Rhodamine B in Food Samples by Fe3O4@ Ionic Liquids-ß-Cyclodextrin Cross Linked Polymer Solid Phase Extraction Coupled with Fluorescence Spectrophotometry.

Fe3O4@Ionic liquids ß-cyclodextrin polymer(Fe3O4@ mono-6- deoxy-6- (1-ethyl- imidazolium)-ß-cyclodextrin iodide polymer, ILs-ß-CDCP) was prepared. A novel method based on Fe3O4@ILs-ß-CDCP solid phase extraction coupled with fluorescence spectrophotometry for Rhodamine B (RhB) determination, was investigated. Results were shown that RhB was adsorbed on Fe3O4@ILs-ß-CDCP and eluted with sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) (1.0%) rapidly. Different parameters, such as pH, adsorption time and volume, eluent volume and time were studied. This method introduced linearity for RhB between 0.01-9.00 µg/mL-1 , the limit of detection was 5.2 ng/mL-1 , correlation coefficient (R) was >0.9987 and the relative standard deviation (RSD) was 3.1% (n = 3, c = 4.00 µg/mL). The mechanism of adsorption of RhB on Fe3O4@ILs-ß-CDCP was studied through the FTIR analysis and the inclusion constant of Fe3O4@ILs-ß-CDCP-RhB. This method was applied successfully for determination of RhB in real samples with satisfactory results.

Highly selective coextraction of rhodamine B and dibenzyl phthalate based on high-density dual-template imprinted shells on silica microparticles.

A simple one-pot approach based on molecularly imprinted polymer shells dispersed on the surface of silica for simultaneous determination of rhodamine B and dibenzyl phthalate (DBzP) has been developed. Highly dense molecularly imprinted polymer shells were formed in the mixture of acetonitrile and toluene by the copolymerization of methacrylic acid and ethylene glycol dimethacrylate, as well as two templates, rhodamine B and dibenzyl phthalate, directed by the vinyl end groups functional monolayer at surface silica microspheres after 3-methacryloxypropyl trimethoxysilane modification. The obtained imprinted polymer shells showed large average pore diameter (102.5 nm) and about 100 nm shell thickness. The imprinted particles also showed high imprinting factor (αRhB = 3.52 and αDBzP = 3.94), rapid binding kinetics, and excellent selective affinity capacity for rhodamine B and dibenzyl phthalate containing another three competitors in mixed solution. Moreover, the imprinted particles coupled with ultra high performance liquid chromatography was successfully applied to simultaneous analysis of rhodamine B and dibenzyl phthalate in two spiked beverage samples with average recoveries in the range of 88.0-93.0% for rhodamine B and 84.0-92.0% for dibenzyl phthalate with the relative standard deviation lower than 5.1%.

Ultrathin Free-Standing Bombyx mori Silk Nanofibril Membranes.

We report a new ultrathin filtration membrane prepared from silk nanofibrils (SNFs), directly exfoliated from natural Bombyx mori silk fibers to retain structure and physical properties. These membranes can be prepared with a thickness down to 40 nm with a narrow distribution of pore sizes ranging from 8 to 12 nm. Typically, 40 nm thick membranes prepared from SNFs have pure water fluxes of 13 000 L h(-1) m(-2) bar(-1), more than 1000 times higher than most commercial ultrathin filtration membranes and comparable with the highest water flux reported previously. The commercial membranes are commonly prepared from polysulfone, poly(ether sulfone), and polyamide. The SNF-based ultrathin membranes exhibit efficient separation for dyes, proteins, and colloids of nanoparticles with at least a 64% rejection of Rhodamine B. This broad-spectrum filtration membrane would have potential utility in applications such as wastewater treatment, nanotechnology, food industry, and life sciences in part due to the protein-based membrane polymer (silk), combined with the robust mechanical and separation performance features.

Sequestration of dyes from artificially prepared textile effluent using RSM-CCD optimized hybrid backbone based adsorbent-kinetic and equilibrium studies.

Present work reports the synthesis of semi-Interpenetrating Network Polymer (semi-IPN) using Gelatin-Gum xanthan hybrid backbone and polyvinyl alcohol in presence of l-tartaric acid and ammonium persulphate as the crosslinker-initiator system. Reaction parameters were optimized with Response Surface Methodology (RSM) in order to maximize the percent gel fraction of the synthesized sample. Polyvinyl alcohol, l-Tartaric acid, ammonium persulphate, reaction temperature, time and pH of the reaction medium were found to make an impact on the percentage gel fraction obtained. Incorporation of polyvinyl alcohol chains onto hybrid backbone and crosslinking between the different polymer chains were confirmed through techniques like FTIR, SEM-EDX and XRD. Semi-IPN was found to be very efficient in the removal of cationic dyes rhodamine-B (70%) and auramine-O (63%) from a mixture with an adsorbent dose of 700 mg, initial concentration of rhodamine-B 6 mgL-1 and auramine-O 26 mgL-1, at an time interval of 22-25 h and 30 °C temp. Further to determine the nature of adsorption Langmuir and Freundlich adsorption isotherm models were studied and it was found that Langmuir adsorption isotherm was the best fit model for the removal of mixture of dyes. Kinetic studies for the sorption of dyes favored the reaction mechanism to occur via a pseudo second order pathway with R2 value about 0.99.

CTAB-Assisted Fabrication of Bi2WO6 Thin Nanoplates with High Adsorption and Enhanced Visible Light-Driven Photocatalytic Performance.

Two-dimensional thin Bi2WO6 nanoplates have been fabricated using a cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB)-assisted hydrothermal method. We investigated the proposed formation mechanism based on the crystalline structures of the thin Bi2WO6 nanoplates. The high adsorption ability and excellent visible-light driven photocatalytic activities of the Bi2WO6 nanoplates were illustrated, in view of exposed (001) facets of nanoplates possessing faster separation of photo-generated charge carriers and increased catalytically active sites. Such a cost-effective way to obtain Bi2WO6 nanoplates offers new possibilities for the design of adsorptive semiconductor photocatalysts with strengthened photocatalytic activities.

Kinetic and equilibrium profile of the adsorptive removal of Acid Red 17 dye by surfactant-modified fuller's earth.

In the present study, fuller's earth (FE) was modified with sodium dodecyl sulfate for removal of Acid Red 17 (AR 17) dye from aqueous solutions. The surfactant-modified FE and FE were characterized by a Fourier transform infrared spectrometer, thermogravimetric analyzer and scanning electron microscope. Batch adsorption experiments were carried out as a function of contact time, pH, initial concentration of AR 17 and adsorbent dosage. About 99.1% adsorption efficiency was achieved within 60 min at adsorbent dose of 0.1 g for initial dye concentration of 1,000 mg L-1 at pH 10. The adsorption data were well fitted with the Dubinin-Radushkevich isotherm model implying physisorption as the major phenomenon for adsorption. The kinetic data were analyzed using four kinetic equations: pseudo-first-order, pseudo-second-order, intraparticle diffusion and Elovich equations. The rates of adsorption confirmed the pseudo-second-order kinetics with good correlation value (R2 = 0.999). The results indicate that the modified adsorbent can effectively be used for the removal of AR 17 from wastewater with high absorption capacity of 2164.61 mg g-1.

Preparation of a concentric layered structure of an electrospun nanofiber column for solid-phase extraction of mass viscous crude extracts.

The packed nanofiber solid-phase extraction of crude extracts of a mass viscous sample is challenging because the interference and recalcitrant particulates in the sample may attach to the nanofiber and block the column, which leads to insufficient sample extraction. A novel concentric layered nanofiber solid-phase extraction (SPE) column using polystyrene-based electrospun nanofiber as the stationary phase has been employed for the pretreatment of mass viscous crude extracts. The layered column was fabricated by using untouched nanofiber with its natural morphology rather than hand-packing of spoiled fiber to the control packing density of the column. In the novel column, the SPE packed bed was divided into a multi-layer structure to provide uniform radial and axial packing and to part the mobile phase stream by the isolated layer with great superiority in aspects such as lower column pressure and faster elution speed. The feasibility and efficiency of the LFSPE column were then evaluated via determination of rhodamine B (RB) from spiked chili samples. Based on the LFSPE column, a linear spiked calibration curve in the range of 0.02-5 mg/kg was obtained. The limit of detection (LOD) and limit of quantification (LOQ) of the method were 0.001 and 0.004 mg/kg, respectively; recoveries at 0.1, 1, and 2 mg/kg (n = 3) were all up to 95 %; and the RSD values of inter-day and intra-day were all below 5 %. This novel LFSPE column overcame heterogeneous packing and exploited the wall effect in subtle ways, and exhibited great superiority by comparison with some existing methods. Graphical Abstract ᅟ.

Photoluminescence and Photocatalytic Activity of Bi2MoO6:Ln3+ Nanocrystals.

Sheet-like Bi2MoO6:Ln3+ nanocrystals were synthesized by a hydrothermal method. The crystalline size of Bi2MoO6:Ln3+ (Ln = Eu and Gd) nanocrystals changes gradually with the increasing of Ln3+ content in the reaction solutions. The photoluminescence properties of Bi2MoO6:Ln3+ nanocrystals were investigated in detail. In the emission spectra of Bi2MoO6:Eu3+ nanocrystals the 5D0-->7F2 is much stronger than the 5D0 --> 7F1 and is the strongest when the excitation is performed at 467 nm. The relative intensity of the transitions from Eu3+ increased with increasing Eu3+ concentrations, up to about 50 mol%, and then decreased abruptly. In the excitation spectra of Bi2MoOI:Eul+ (30%)/Gd3+ monitored at 618 nm, the 7F0 --> 5D2 (~467 nm) transition is dominating when the Gd3+ concentrations were 10% or 20%. When the Gd3+ concentration was 30%, the 7FO -> D1 (~538 nm) transition is dominating. In addition, the photocatalytic activity of Bi2MoO6:Eu3+ was evaluated by the degradation of rhodamine B (RhB) aqueous solution under simulated solar light. The best photocatalytic performance was observed when the Eu3+ concentration was 1%.

Mixed Hemi/Ad-Micelle Sodium Dodecyl Sulfate-Coated Magnetic Iron Oxide Nanoparticles for the Efficient Removal and Trace Determination of Rhodamine-B and Rhodamine-6G.

Mixed hemi/ad-micelle sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS)-coated magnetic iron oxide nanoparticles (MHAMS-MIONPs) were used as an efficient adsorbent for both removal and preconcentration of two important carcinogenic xanthine dyes named rhodamine-B (RB) and rhodamine-6G (RG). To gain insight in the configuration of SDS molecules on the surface of MIONPs, zeta potential measurements were performed in different [SDS]/[MIONP] ratios. Zeta potential data indicated that mixed hemi/ad-micelle MHAM was formed in [SDS]/[MIONP] ratios over the range of 1.1 to 7.3. Parameters affecting the adsorption of dyes were optimized as removal efficiency by one variable at-a-time and response surface methodology; the obtained removal efficiencies were ∼100%. Adsorption kinetic and equilibrium studies, under the optimum condition (pH = 2; amount of MIONPs = 87.15 mg; [SDS]/[MIONP] ratio = 2.9), showed that adsorption of both dyes are based on the pseudo-second-order and the Langmuir isotherm models, respectively. The maximum adsorption capacities for RB and RG were 385 and 323 mg g(-1), respectively. MHAMS-MIONPs were also applied for extraction of RB and RG. Under optimum conditions (pH = 2; amount of damped MHAMS-MIONPs = 90 mg; eluent solvent volume = 2.6 mL of 3% acetic acid in acetonitrile), extraction recoveries for 0.5 mg L(-1) of RB and RG were 98% and 99%, with preconcentration factors of 327 and 330, respectively. Limit of detection obtained for rhodamine dyes were <0.7 ng mL(-1). Finally, MHAMS-MIONPs were successfully applied for both removal and trace determination of RB and RG in environmental and wastewater samples.

Microfluidic selective concentration of microdroplet contents by spontaneous emulsification.

The selective concentration of the contents in a microdroplet using spontaneous emulsification was proposed and demonstrated in a microfluidic channel. Aqueous microdroplets having a 40-µm diameter, in octane containing 100 mM of Span 80, shrank to 10 µm within 10 min with nanodroplet formation at the interface of the microdroplets. The microdroplets' contents either stayed in the microdroplet or partitioned into the nanodroplets, depending on their properties. The size and the hydrophobicity of the contents are two parameters that determine concentration/separation. In addition, this method was applied to a bound complex and free ligand (B/F) separation to demonstrate its applicability to biochemical analyses. Here we report the separation of water-soluble molecules in microdroplets for the first time. This method is expected to enhance the flexibility of the design of droplet analytical processes and widen their applicability.