Mesoporous Nb2O5/SiO2 material obtained by sol-gel method and applied as adsorbent of crystal violet dye.

In this work, SiO2/Nb2O5 (SiNb) material was prepared using sol-gel method and employed as adsorbent for removal of crystal violet dye (CV). The material was characterized using nitrogen adsorption-desorption isotherms, FTIR spectroscopy, pHpzc, and SEM-EDS. The analysis of N2 isotherms revealed the presence of micro- and mesopores in the SiNb sample with specific surface area as high as 747 m2 g-1. For the CV adsorption process, variations of several parameters such as of pH, temperature, contact time, and concentration of dye of the process were evaluated. The optimum initial pH of the CV dye solution was 7.0. The adsorption kinetic and equilibrium data for CV adsorption were suitably represented by the general-order and Liu models, respectively. The maximum adsorption capacity of the CV dye by SiNb was achieved at 303 K, which attained 116 mg g-1 at this temperaure. Dye effluents were simulated and used to check the applicability of the SiNb material for treatment of effluents - the material showed very good efficiency for decolorization of dye effluents.

Simultaneous electroanalytical determination of hydroquinone and catechol in the presence of resorcinol at an SiO2/C electrode spin-coated with a thin film of Nb2O5.

This paper describes the development, characterization and application of an Nb(2)O(5) film formed on the surface of a carbon ceramic material, SiO(2)/C, obtained by a sol-gel method, using the spin-coating technique. The working electrode using this material will be designated as SiCNb. Hydroquinone and catechol can be oxidized at this electrode in the presence of resorcinol, allowing their simultaneous detection. The electrochemical properties of the resulting electrode were investigated using cyclic and differential pulse voltammetry techniques. Well-defined and separated oxidation peaks were observed by differential pulse voltammetry in Tris-HCl buffer solution at pH 7 containing 1 mol L(-1) KCl in the supporting electrolyte solution. The SiCNb electrode exhibited high sensitivity in the simultaneous determination of hydroquinone and catechol in the presence of resorcinol, with the limits of detection for hydroquinone and catechol being 1.6 µmol L(-1) and 0.8 µmol L(-1), respectively. Theoretical calculations were performed to determine the ionization energies of hydroquinone, catechol and resorcinol; the results were used to explain the simultaneous determination of species by differential pulse voltammetry. The presence of resorcinol did not produce any interference in the simultaneous detection of hydroquinone and catechol on the surface of the modified electrode.

Niobium oxide dispersed on a carbon-ceramic matrix, SiO2/C/Nb2O5, used as an electrochemical ascorbic acid sensor.

A film of niobium oxide was immobilized on a SiO(2)/C carbon-ceramic matrix (specific surface area 270 m(2)g(-1)) and characterized by N(2) adsorption-desorption isotherms, scanning electron microscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and atomic force microscopy. This new carbon-ceramic material, SiO(2)/C/Nb(2)O(5), was used for construction of electrodes, and it shows ability to improve the electron-transfer between the electrode surface and ascorbic acid. The electrocatalytic oxidation of ascorbic acid was made by differential pulse and cyclic voltammetry techniques, making it potentially useful for developing a new ascorbic acid sensor.

Anisotropic self-organization of hybrid silica based xerogels containing bridged positively charged 1,4-diazoniabicycle[2.2.2]octane chloride group.

Anisotropic self-organized hybrid silica based xerogels were obtained. The ordered structure was imposed by the double charged 1,4-diazoniabicycle[2.2.2]octane chloride group bonded in a bridged way. This was confirmed by the presence of well defined X-ray diffraction peaks corresponding to an interplanar distance with the same length estimated for the organic bridged groups. The material was characterized by elemental analysis using CHN technique and the chloride ion was analyzed by a potentiometric titration. (13)C and (29)Si CP MAS solid state NMR spectroscopy and thermogravimetric analysis were also performed. The material that can be obtained in the form of powders and transparent monoliths or films, is thermally stable up to 260 degrees C and the samples with high organic content presented birefringence properties.

Structure and property studies of hybrid xerogels containing bridged positively charged 1,4-diazoniabicycle[2.2.2]octane dichloride.

The compound di-3-n-propyltrimethoxysilane (1,4-diazoniabicycle[2.2.2]octane) dichloride, [(MeO)3Si(CH2)3N+ (CH2CH2)3N+ (CH2)3Si(OME)3]Cl2 was obtained and was used as a precursor reagent to obtain hybrid xerogels where the organic molecule was bonded to a silica framework by reacting the ends of both sides of the precursor reagent. That is, both -Si(OME)3 groups react with tetraethylorthosilicate (TEOS) by hydrolysis-condensation reactions. The resulting hybrid xerogels with variable C/Si mole ratios were prepared and analyzed and their textural characteristics determined. The samples prepared presented micropores with diameter 1.5 nm, the chain length of which matched with the estimated length of the organic bridging group. The charged organic bridging groups allow the immobilization of hexacyanoferrate ions by an ion exchange process. The electron transfer process of the hexacyanoferrate anionic complex confined in the pores of the matrices was studied by cyclovoltammetry.