Room temperature bioproduction, isolation and anti-microbial properties of stable elemental copper nanoparticles.

In nanoparticle production there are a number of important considerations that must be made. Producing nanoparticles of uniform size and shape is vital, but no less important is ensuring the production process is as efficient as possible in time, cost and energy. Traditional chemical and physical methods of nanoparticle production often involve high temperatures and pressures, as well as the use of toxic substrates; in contrast the bioproduction of nanoparticles is greener and requires a smaller input of energy resources. Here we outline a method for the straightforward bioproduction of stable, uniform elemental (zero-valent) copper nanoparticles at room temperature, and demonstrate how their size and shape can be modified by subsequent pH manipulation. We also highlight a potential application for these biogenic copper nanoparticles by demonstrating their potential to inhibit bacterial growth.

Cysteine-assisted tailoring of adsorption properties and particle size of polymer and carbon spheres.

A series of cysteine-stabilized phenolic resin-based polymer and carbon spheres were prepared by the modified Stöber method. Cysteine plays a very important role in the proposed one-pot synthesis of the aforementioned spheres; namely, it acts as a particle stabilizer and a source of heteroatoms (nitrogen and sulfur) that can be introduced into these spheres. The diameter of these spheres can be tuned in the range of 70-610 nm by adjusting the cysteine amount and reaction temperature. Since polymer spheres obtained in the presence of cysteine contain sulfur and nitrogen heteroatoms, they were tested for adsorption of copper ions. It is shown that adsorption isotherms recorded for copper ions can be well fitted by Langmuir equation, giving unprecedented adsorption capacities up to ~65 mg/g.

Biosorption and bioreduction of copper from different copper compounds in aqueous solution.

High copper concentration is toxic for living organisms including humans. Biosorption is a bioremediation technique that can remove copper and other pollutants from aqueous medium and soils, consequently cleaning the environment. The aim of this study was, therefore, to investigate the influence of different copper compounds (Cu(II) as CuCl2; Cu(II) as CuSO4; and Cu(I) as CuCl) on copper bioreduction and biosorption using four copper-resistant bacteria isolated from the rhizosphere of two plants (Avena sativa and Plantago lanceolata) in aqueous matrix. Copper resistance profile, bioreduction, and biosorption after 48 h of incubation were evaluated. The isolates displayed high copper resistance. However, isolate A1 did not grow very well in the CuCl2 and isolate T5 was less resistant to copper in aqueous solutions amended with CuCl (Cu(I)). The best copper source for copper bioreduction and biosorption was CuSO4 and the isolates removed as much as ten times more copper than in aqueous solutions amended with the other copper compounds. Moreover, Cu(I) did not succumb to biosorption, although the microbes were resistant to aqueous solutions of CuCl. In summary, Cu(II) from CuSO4 was furthermost susceptible to bioreduction and biosorption for all isolates. This is an indication that copper contamination of the environment from the use of CuSO4 as an agrochemical is amenable to bioremediation.

Aminopropyl-modified mesoporous silica SBA-15 as recovery agents of Cu(II)-sulfate solutions: Adsorption efficiency, functional stability and reusability aspects.

Hybrid mesoporous materials are potentially useful for metal ion scavenging and retrieval because of their high surface areas, controlled accessibility and tailored functionalization. Some aspects that are linked to the performance of HMM include pore accessibility, stability of the organic functions and reusability. Knowledge of these aspects is critical in the design of adsorption-desorption protocols. In this work we produce and characterize propylamino-substituted large pore silica (SBA-15-N), which is submitted to Cu(II) adsorption from copper sulfate solutions, followed by desorption in acid media and material regeneration. We find that the hybrid material is an efficient adsorbent (1.15-1.75mmol Cu(II)g(-1)), although a fraction of the organic groups is lost during the adsorption process. An X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) study demonstrates that the contents of amino groups are higher in the material surface, leading to different behaviors in Cu(II) complexation along the material. These materials can be regenerated by exposure to acidic media. Thermal processing of the hybrid materials leads to better durability in aqueous solutions during reprocessing, due to enhanced polycondensation of the inorganic framework. Thermally treated samples, once regenerated, are efficient adsorbents in a second step of Cu(II) adsorption. We discuss the materials processing factors involved in the improved adsorption of Cu(II), its quantitative release and reusability of the material.

A membrane-free baffled microbial fuel cell for cathodic reduction of Cu(II) with electricity generation.

A membrane-free baffled microbial fuel cell (MFC) was developed to treat synthetic Cu(II) sulfate containing wastewater in cathode chamber and synthetic glucose-containing wastewater fed to anode chamber. Maximum power density of 314 mW/m(3) with columbic efficiency of 5.3% was obtained using initial Cu(2+) concentration of 6400 mg/L. Higher current density favored the cathodic reduction of Cu(2+), and removal of Cu(2+) by 70% was observed within 144 h using initial concentration of 500 mg/L. Powder X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis indicated that the Cu(2+) was reduced to Cu(2)O or Cu(2)O plus Cu which deposited on the cathode, and the deficient cathodic reducibility resulted in the formation of Cu(4)(OH)(6)SO(4) at high initial Cu(2+) concentration (500-6400 mg/L). This study suggested a novel low-cost approach to remove and recover Cu(II) from Cu(2+)-containing wastewater using MFC-type reactor.

Separation of H(2)SO(4) + CuSO(4) mixture by diffusion dialysis.

Diffusion dialysis of aqueous solution of H(2)SO(4) + CuSO(4) has been investigated in a two-compartment cell with an anion-exchange membrane Neosepta-AFN. The experiments have proved that sulfuric acid permeates well through the membrane used, while cupric sulfate is efficiently rejected. This operation is very effective at high acid concentrations and low concentrations of cupric sulfate. Furthermore, it has been found that even at the highest concentration of CuSO(4), the rejection coefficient is higher than 0.965. The flux of CuSO(4) calculated from the time dependences of the CuSO(4) concentration is negatively influenced by increasing acid concentration.

Cyanobacteria carrying an smt-lux transcriptional fusion as biosensors for the detection of heavy metal cations.

The metal-responsive smt operator/promoter region of Synechococcus PCC7942 was fused to the luxCDABE genes of Vibrio fischeri. Plasmid DNA (pJLE23) carrying this fusion conferred metal ion-inducible luminescence to transformed cyanobacteria. Synechococcus PCC7942 (pJLE23) was sensitive to ZnCl2 concentrations within a range of 0.5-4 microM as demonstrated by induction of luminescence. Trace levels of CuSO24 and CdCl2 were also detected.