Plant polyphenol surfactant construction with strong surface activity and chelation properties as efficient decontamination of UO22+ on cotton fabric.

Chemically synthesized surfactants have promising applications in the treatment of uranium, however, their hazardous environmental effects, non-biodegradability, and numerous drawbacks prevent them from being widely used in practice. Herein, we successfully synthesized a green chelating and foaming integrated surfactant (BTBS) by Mannich reaction and acylation of bayberry tannin for the effective removal of UO22+ from aqueous environments or solid surfaces. The as-prepared surfactant was systematically characterized by FT-IR, showing that the hydrophobic groups were successfully grafted onto tannin. The modified material showed better foaming and emulsifying properties, which proved this method could improve the amphiphilicity of tannin. Moreover, for the first time, a foam fractionation method in conjunction with a tannin-based surfactant was applied for UO22+ removal from water. This surfactant was used as a co-surfactant and could readily remove 90 % of UO22+ (20 mg L-1) from water. The removal of UO22+ could be completed in a short time (30 min), and the maximum adsorption capacity was determined as 175.9 mg g-1. This surfactant can also be used for efficient decontamination of uranium-contaminated cotton cloth with a high removal rate of 94.55 %. In addition, the mechanism studies show that the adsorption of BTBS for UO22+ can be mainly attributed to a chelating mechanism between UO22+ and the adjacent phenolic hydroxyls. The novel biomass-derived BTBS with advantages such as high capture capacity, environmental friendliness, and cost-effectiveness suggests that it plays an important role in the remediation of radionuclide pollution.

Improvement of amphipathic properties with molecular structure unfolding and activation of cottonseed protein as ultra stable and safe emulsifier by deamidation.

By-product cottonseed proteins are excellent options for numerous applications due to their superior properties and lower cost. However, its complex folded structure and large molecular weight lead to lower reactivity and insufficient amphiphilicity. Cottonseed protein isolate (CPI) is less-soluble in water. Therefore, we improved the amphiphilicity of CPI with associated hydrolysis, molecular structure unfolding, and activation by alkaline-induced deamidation (at 24, 36, and 72 h) and produced three cottonseed protein hydrolysates CPH 24, 36, and 72. FTIR/UV-CD measurements confirmed the conformational changes and conversion of the structural content. Particle size decreased 2503.4-771.8 nm, while surface hydrophobicity (133.5-326.7), carboxyl content (1.13 × 10Ö¾3-2.09 × 10Ö¾3), and flexibility increased, signifying hydrolysis, unfolding, and amphiphilicity improvement. Longer deamidation (CPH 72) exhibited the best properties, its prepared emulsions were long-term stable under all the environmental stresses without visible phase separation after at least 40 days of storage except at pH 4. Compared to CPI, it had smaller droplets (939.3-264.9 nm) and larger absolute ζ-potential (-26.5 to -58.0 mV). From the in-vitro cytotoxicity test, deamidated CPI is extremely safer than commonly used synthetic surfactants. This research provides a new method for producing multifunctional emulsifiers from CPI, which could be utilized in the development of functional foods/non-foods.

Effect of calcium chloride and 1-methylcyclopropene combined treatment on pectin degradation and textural changes of Eureka lemon during postharvest storage.

During post-harvest storage, the cell wall properties are closely associated with the physical, chemical, and biological properties of the fruit. The degradation of pectin in the cell walls and middle lamella is critical to these properties. The effects of calcium chloride (CaCl2) and 1-methylcyclopropene (1-MCP) combined treatment on the pectin degradation, texture, and peel color of Eureka lemon were investigated during post-harvest storage. The in-situ light microscope analysis, rapid method, and FTIR test were used to investigate the spatial distribution, the pectin content, and its degradation. The results showed a reduction in pectin degradation, by 42 d the CaCl2 and 1-MCP combined treated fruits presented a 36.7% pectin content loss which was lower than the control which was 48.3%. The treated fruits significantly exhibited enhanced textural properties, delayed weight loss, higher total acids, and improvement of other physicochemical properties in comparison to the control. The treatment deaccelerated the fruit peel color change from green to yellow and also had a better visual appearance on the final day. Overall, the results suggest that the control treatment for pectin degradation can reduce the fruit texture decline and peel color change and maintain a good visual appearance. The influence of pectin degradation on the texture and physicochemical properties of lemon provides a theoretical basis for fruit storage optimization, quality control, and shelf-life extension.