One-step removal of harmful algal blooms by dual-functional flocculant based on self-branched chitosan integrated with flotation function.

Harmful algal blooms induce severe environmental problems. It is challenging to remove algae by the current available treatments involving complicate process and costly instruments. Here, we developed a CaO2@PEG-loaded water-soluble self-branched chitosan (CP-SBC) system, which can remove algae from water in one-step without additional instrumentation. This approach utilizes a novel flocculant (self-branched chitosan) integrated with flotation function (induced by CaO2@PEG). CP-SBC exhibited better flocculation performance than commercial flocculants, which is attributed to the enhanced bridging and sweeping effect of branched chitosan. CP-SBC demonstrated outstanding biocompatibility, which was verified by zebrafish test and algae activity test. CaO2@PEG-loaded self-branched chitosan can serve as an "Air flotation system" to spontaneous float the flocs after flocculation by sustainably released O2. Furthermore, CP-SBC can improve water quality through minimizing dissolved oxygen depletion and reducing total phosphorus concentrations.

Rheological characterization of photochemical changes of ethyl(hydroxyethyl)cellulose dissolved in water in the presence of an ionic surfactant and a photosensitizer.

The effects of addition of the photosensitizer riboflavin (RF) to semidilute solutions of the systems ethyl(hydroxyethyl)cellulose (EHEC)/water, EHEC/sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS), and EHEC/cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB) on the turbidity and the linear viscoelasticity are studied. The turbidity behavior and the cloud point (CP) are influenced by the addition of RF to the EHEC/SDS system, whereas no discernible change is observed for the other systems. The rheological features of all systems are affected by the presence of RF at lower temperatures, whereas at temperatures close to the CP, only a slight effect is detected. Both the EHEC/SDS and EHEC/CTAB systems evolve thermoreversible gels at the same temperature (37.5 degrees C), but in the presence of RF, the EHEC/CTAB system does not form a gel, whereas the gel temperature for the EHEC/SDS system is depressed (32.5 degrees C). Light irradiation of RF in the EHEC/SDS/RF system causes fragmentation of the network and a higher temperature is required to re-form the incipient gel network. The photochemical degradation of EHEC gives rise to a decrease in the dynamic moduli and the complex viscosity for all of the three systems. The effect is strengthened at higher temperatures and it is most pronounced for the EHEC/SDS system.

Rheological and structural properties of aqueous alginate during gelation via the Ugi multicomponent condensation reaction.

Turbidity, structure, and rheological features during gelation via the Ugi multicomponent condensation reaction of semidilute solutions of alginate have been investigated at different polymer and cross-linker concentrations and reaction temperatures. The gelation time of the system decreased with increasing polymer and cross-linker concentrations, and a temperature rise resulted in a faster gelation. At the gel point, a power law frequency dependence of the dynamic storage modulus (G' proportional, variant omega(n)(')) and loss modulus (G' ' proportional, variant omega(n)(' ')) was observed for all gelling systems with n' = n' ' = n. By varying the cross-linker density at a fixed polymer concentration (2.2 wt %), the power law exponent is consistent with that predicted (0.7) from the percolation model. The value of n decreases with increasing polymer concentration, whereas higher temperatures give rise to higher values of n. The elastic properties of the gels continue to grow over a long time in the postgel region, and at later stages in the gelation process, a solidlike response is observed. The turbidity of the gelling system increases as the gel evolves, and this effect is more pronounced at higher cross-linker concentration. The small-angle neutron scattering results reveal large-scale inhomogeneities of the gels, and this effect is enhanced as the cross-linker density increases. The structural, turbidity, and rheological features were found to change over an extended time after the formation of the incipient gel. It was demonstrated that temperature, polymer, and cross-linker concentrations could be utilized to tune the physical properties of the Ugi gels such as structure, transparency, and viscoelasticity.