The analysis of pesticides and fungicides in the inhibition of human and rat placental 3ß-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase activity: Mode of inhibition and mechanism.

3ß-Hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase/steroid Δ5,4-isomerase 1 (3ß-HSD1) plays a critical role in the biosynthesis of progesterone from pregnenolone in the human placenta to maintain normal pregnancy. Whether they inhibit placental 3ß-HSD1 and mode of inhibition remains unclear. In this study, we screened 21 pesticides and fungicides in five classes to inhibit human 3ß-HSD1 and compared them to rat homolog 3ß-HSD4. 3ß-HSD activity was measured by catalyzing pregnenolone to progesterone in the presence of NAD+. Of the 21 chemicals, azoles (difenoconazole), thiocarbamates (thiram and ferbam) and organochlorine (hexachlorophene) significantly inhibited human 3ß-HSD1 with half maximal inhibitory concentration (IC50) values of 2.77, 0.24, 0.68, and 17.96 µM, respectively. We also found that difenoconazole, ferbam and hexachlorophene are mixed/competitive inhibitors of 3ß-HSD1 while thiram is a mixed/noncompetitive inhibitor. Docking analysis showed that difenoconazole and hexachlorophene bound steroid-binding site. Difenoconazole and hexachlorophene except thiram and ferbam also significantly inhibited rat 3ß-HSD4 activity with IC50 of 1.12 and 2.28 µM, respectively. Thiram and ferbam significantly inhibited human 3ß-HSD1 possibly by interfering with cysteine residues, while they had no effects on rat 3ß-HSD4. In conclusion, some pesticides potently inhibit placental 3ß-HSD, leading to the reduction of progesterone formation.

Halogen atoms determine the inhibitory potency of halogenated bisphenol A derivatives on human and rat placental 11ß-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase 2.

Some halogenated bisphenol A (BPA) derivatives (tetrabromobisphenol A, TBBPA, and tetrachlorobisphenol A, TCBPA) are produced in a high volume and exist in PM2.5 after waste burning. 11ß-Hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase 2 (11ß-HSD2) is a critical enzyme for placental function. However, whether halogenated bisphenols inhibit 11ß-HSD2 and the mode of action remains unclear. The objective of this study was to investigate BPA derivatives on human and rat placental 11ß-HSD2. The inhibitory strength on human 11ß-HSD2 was TBBPA (IC50, 0.665 µM)>TCBPA (2.22 µM)>trichloro BPA (TrCBPA, 19.87 µM)>tetrabromobisphenol S (TBBPS, 36.76 µM)>monochloro BPA (MCBPA, 104.0 µM)>BPA (144.9 µM)>bisphenol S. All chemicals are mixed and competitive inhibitors. Rat 11ß-HSD2 was less sensitive to BPA derivatives, with TBBPA (IC50, 96.63 µM)>TCBPA (99.69 µM)>TrCBPA (104.1 µM)>BPA (117.1 µM)>others. Docking analysis showed that BPA derivatives bind steroid active sites. Structure-activity relationship revealed that halogen atoms and LogP were inversely correlated with inhibitory strength on human 11ß-HSD2, while LogS and polar desolvation energy were positively correlated with the inhibitory strength. In conclusion, halogenated BPA derivatives are mostly potent inhibitors on human 11ß-HSD2 and there is structure-dependent inhibition.

Direct inhibition of bisphenols on human and rat 11ß-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase 2: Structure-activity relationship and docking analysis.

Bisphenols (BPs) as endocrine-disrupting compounds have drawn attention to their health hazards. Whether a BP interferes with glucocorticoid metabolism remains unclear. 11ß-Hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase 2 (11ß-HSD2) is a key glucocorticoid-metabolizing enzyme that controls fetal glucocorticoid levels across the placental barrier and mineralocorticoid receptor specificity in the kidney. In this study, 11 BPs were tested to inhibit human placental and rat renal 11ß-HSD2 and were analyzed for inhibitory potency, mode action, and docking parameters. BPs had inhibitory potency against human 11ß-HSD2: BPFL>BPAP>BPZ>BPB>BPC>BPAF>BPA>TDP and the IC10 values were 0.21, 0.55, 1.04, 2.04, 2.43, 2.57, 14.43, and 22.18 µM, respectively. All BPs are mixed inhibitors except BPAP, which is a competitive inhibitor for human 11ß-HSD2. Some BPs also inhibited rat renal 11ß-HSD2, with BPB (IC50, 27.74 ± 0.95) > BPZ (42.14 ± 0.59) > BPAF (54.87 ± 1.73) > BPA (77.32 ± 1.20) > other BPs (about 100 µM). Docking analysis showed that all BPs bound to the steroid-binding site, interacting with the catalytic residue Tyr232 of both enzymes and the most potent human 11ß-HSD2 inhibitor BPFL acts possibly due to its large fluorene ring that has hydrophobic interaction with residues Glu172 and Val270 and π-stacking interaction with catalytic residue Tyr232. The increase in the size of substituted alkanes and halogenated groups in the methane moiety of the bridge of BPs increases its inhibitory potency. Regressions of the lowest binding energy with inhibition constant indicated that there was an inverse regression. These results indicated that BPs significantly inhibited human and rat 11ß-HSD2 activity and that there were species-dependent differences.

Structure-activity relationship analysis of perfluoroalkyl carbonic acids on human and rat placental 3ß-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase activity.

Placenta contains 3ß-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase/steroid Δ5,4-isomerase (HSD3B), which catalyzes pregnenolone to progesterone for maintaining pregnancy. Perfluoroalkyl carbonic acids (PFC) are subclass of perfluoroalkyl substances containing 4-14 carbons (C4-C14) in the carbon backbone and are potential endocrine disruptors. Whether PFC inhibit HSD3B and structure-activity relationship (SAR) remains unclear. Herein, we screened 11 PFC for inhibiting human type I HSD3B (HSD3B1) and rat type IV HSD3B (HSD3B4) activities and determined SAR and mode of inhibition. HSD3B was measured by converting pregnenolone to progesterone assisted by NAD+ in placental microsomes. Of the 11 PFC, C9-C14 significantly inhibited human HSD3B1 activity at 100 µM. Half-maximal inhibitory concentration (IC50) values of C9-C14 compounds were 363.56 ± 12.14, 12.78 ± 0.69, 6.54 ± 0.65, 20.88 ± 0.41, 118.35 ± 0.16, and 149.26 ± 21.67 µM, respectively. We determined Ki values and mode of inhibition of three most potent PFC (C10-C12), and found that they were mixed inhibitors against pregnenolone, with Ki values of 5.57 ± 4.37, 2.04 ± 2.26, and 9.93 ± 7.71, respectively. Docking analysis showed that they bound steroid-binding site. Effects of PFC on rat placental HSD3B4 were performed. Of the 11 PFC, C10-C12 significantly inhibited rat HSD3B4 activity at 100 µM. IC50 values of C10-C12 compounds were 45.85 ± 1.49, 36.08 ± 1.50, and 88.74 ± 1.99 µM, respectively. Ki values and inhibition modes of the three most potent PFC (C10-C12) were studied. It was found that they were mixed inhibitors against pregnenolone, with Ki values of 48.16 ± 20.44, 36.28 ± 53.07, and 91.79 ± 21.75 µM, respectively. Docking analysis showed that they bound steroid-binding site of rat HSD3B4. In conclusion, PFC showed significant SAR differences. The potency of inhibiting HSD3B activity increased from C9 to C11, and then declined. Human HSD3B1 was more sensitive to the inhibition of rat HSD3B4.

Orientational order of dyes in a lyotropic chromonic liquid crystal.

Absorption measurements allow the orientational order parameter of four dyes in the lyotropic chromonic liquid crystal di-sodium cromoglycate (DSCG) to be determined. The dye order parameters are small, except for dyes that intercalate between the DSCG molecules of the rod-like assemblies. The dye order parameters decrease with increasing temperature faster than the nematic order parameter of the DSCG assemblies. For intercalating dyes, the measured dye order parameter varies with the wavelength of the measurement because both intercalated and non-intercalated dye molecules contribute. On the contrary, measurements of the dye order parameter using fluorescence are sensitive only to intercalated dye molecules and produce values that reflect the order parameter of the DSCG assemblies. Therefore, the temperature and concentration dependence of the DSCG order parameter is also explored, since data of this kind on this often-studied system are lacking. Finally, the association constant of one of the intercalating dyes with the DSCG assemblies is determined, yielding a value considerably less than what is found for the same dye with DNA.

Fluornen-9-bisphenol increases Leydig cell proliferation but inhibits maturation in pubertal male rats via interacting with androgen receptor as an antagonist and estrogen receptor α as an agonist.

Fluornen-9-bisphenol (BPFL) is used as one of the alternatives for bisphenol A. However, whether BPFL has deleterious effects to the male reproductive system and the underlying mechanism remain unknown. Here, we report the effects of BPFL on Leydig cell development in male rats in puberty. Male Sprague-Dawley (28 days old) rats were dosed with 0, 10, 100, 200 mg/kg/day BPFL via gavage for 28 days. BPFL significantly decreased serum testosterone levels at 200 mg/kg while increasing serum luteinizing hormone and follicle-stimulating hormone levels at 200 mg/kg. BPFL markedly increased Leydig cell number but down-regulated the expression of Cyp17a1 and its protein level in Leydig cells at 200 mg/kg. Further study showed that BPFL significantly increased Pcna and Cdk2 expression and increased Leydig cell proliferation at 200 mg/kg. BPFL treatment to immature Leydig cells isolated from 28-day-old male rats for 24 h significantly inhibited testosterone biosynthesis at 50 µM, which was completely reversed by the androgen receptor agonist 7α-methyl-nortestosterone and estrogen receptor α antagonist ICI 182,780. In conclusion, BPFL increases Leydig cell proliferation but inhibits its maturation in male rats in puberty by blocking androgen receptor and activating estrogen receptor α.

DNA Origami Nano-Sheets and Nano-Rods Alter the Orientational Order in a Lyotropic Chromonic Liquid Crystal.

Rod-like and sheet-like nano-particles made of desoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) fabricated by the DNA origami method (base sequence-controlled self-organized folding of DNA) are dispersed in a lyotropic chromonic liquid crystal made of an aqueous solution of disodium cromoglycate. The respective liquid crystalline nanodispersions are doped with a dichroic fluorescent dye and their orientational order parameter is studied by means of polarized fluorescence spectroscopy. The presence of the nano-particles is found to slightly reduce the orientational order parameter of the nematic mesophase. Nano-rods with a large length/width ratio tend to preserve the orientational order, while more compact stiff nano-rods and especially nano-sheets reduce the order parameter to a larger extent. In spite of the difference between the sizes of the DNA nano-particles and the rod-like columnar aggregates forming the liquid crystal, a similarity between the shapes of the former and the latter seems to be better compatible with the orientational order of the liquid crystal.

Stabilization of heavy metals in MSWI fly ash with a novel dithiocarboxylate-functionalized polyaminoamide dendrimer.

A novel heavy metal chelating agent, dithiocarboxylate-functionalized polyaminoamide dendrimer (PAMAM-0G-DTC), was evaluated for the stabilization of heavy metals from municipal solids waste incineration (MSWI) fly ash. PAMAM-0G-DTC achieved overall stabilization performance at a lower dosage (3% w/w) and a wider pH range (2-13) compared to conventional chelating agents such as sodium dimethyl dithiocarbamate (SDD) and dithiocarboxylate-functionalized tetraethylenepentamine (TEPA-DTC). The leaching toxicity of Pb and Cd in the MSWI fly ash by PAMAM-0G-DTC stabilization met the landfill requirements but could not be achieved by SDD and TEPA-DTC even at a 10 wt% concentration. Sequential chemical extraction of fly ash before and after stabilization shows that PAMAM-0G-DTC can be combined with active heavy metals in water-soluble, interchangeable, and carbonate states to form more stable heavy metals in organic and residual states. Mechanistic studies show that multiple PAMAM-0G-DTC molecules can combine with multiple heavy metals to form three-dimensional network-like super-molecular compounds with an infinite extension of space size. This makes the heavy metals more stable and embedded in the network-like super-molecular structure, thus minimizing the potential risk of leaching. Overall, by forming more geochemically stable phases, the treatment of fly ash with PAMAM-0G-DTC has a strong ability to reduce the toxic leaching of heavy metals at a lower dosage and suppress the risk of secondary pollution in a landfill at a wide range of pH values (2-13).

Extraction, structure and bioactivities of the polysaccharides from Pleurotus eryngii: A review.

Pleurotus eryngii (also known as king trumpet mushroom or king oyster mushroom) is an edible mushroom cultivated widely in many regions of the world. Polysaccharides from P. eryngii have a variety of biological activities, including anti-oxidant, anti-hyperlipidemic, anti-tumor, immunoregulatory and bacteriostatic. This paper reviews the extraction/purification, structural analysis and pharmacological activities of polysaccharides from this mushroom and provides updated research progress in areas important for the processing and product development of P. eryngii derived agents.

Leaching potential of stabilized fly ash from the incineration of municipal solid waste with a new polymer.

The presence of toxic metals in municipal solid waste incineration fly ash is of great concern due to their leaching potential in landfills. To prevent groundwater or soil contamination caused by metal leaching from fly ash, recently the Chinese government began to require that the leachate concentrations of toxic metals not only satisfied the GB 16889-2008 criteria prior to landfilling but also introduced a series of measures to monitor the groundwater quality in the landfill site and its adjacent areas (GB/T 18772-2017). The stringent hazardous waste measures for pollution control on landfill sites of municipal solid waste demand the development of more efficient chemical stabilizers. To this end, a novel type of chemical stabilizer, a dithiocarboxylate functionalized polymer (TEM_CSSNa) was fabricated. Its efficiency for stabilizing toxic metals was evaluated at different dosages over a range of pH values. To compare with traditional stabilizers, sodium sulfide (Na2S) and thiourea (Tu) were also studied. The results showed that TEM_CSSNa-stabilized fly ash could satisfy the criteria at a dosage of only 3%, while those for Na2S and Tu were around 10%. In addition, this new polymer retained its stabilizing efficiency over a broad pH range. After TEM_CSSNa stabilization treatment, approximately 40-65% of the metals existed in the residual fraction, whereas only 35-55% were converted to the residual fraction using Na2S and Tu stabilization. The formation of a geochemically stable phase reduced the mobility of toxic metals and therefore diminished their leaching potential in landfills.

Sediment washing by EDTA and its reclamation by sodium polyamidoamine-multi dithiocarbamate.

Sodium polyamidoamine-multi dithiocarbamate (PAMAM-DTC) is a kind of heavy metals capturing agent, containing functional groups of dithiocarbamate that could strongly chelate heavy metals. In this paper, it was applied to precipitate heavy metal ions from meal-EDTA and reclaim EDTA during sediment washing process. The extracting performance of fresh EDTA was studied as a function of EDTA concentration, liquid/sediment (L/S), pH, and extraction time. Then the EDTA effluents were treated with PAMAM-DTC, Na2S and sodium diethyldithiocarbamate (DDTC) to compare their effectiveness on capturing metals from metal-EDTA complexes. Four divalent heavy metals were investigated (Pb, Cd, Cu, Zn). PAMAM-DTC shows much better performance. Pb, Cd and Cu could almost be precipitated completely by PAMAM-DTC under the dosage of 350 mg L-1, while Zn could be only partly precipitated which may due to its failure in competition with the other three metal ions on chelation with PAMAM-DTC. The reclaimed EDTA was reused in three cycles of sediment washing, and the amount of heavy metals extracted just slightly decreased in each cycle.

Pattern Formation in a Nematic Liquid Crystal Mixture with Negative Anisotropy of the Electric Conductivity-A Long-Known System with "Inverse" Light Scattering Revisited.

Pattern formation in binary calamitic liquid crystal mixtures with positive dielectric anisotropy and negative conductivity anisotropy, which attracted attention owing to field-induced light scattering under unusual conditions many years ago, is reinvestigated in the conductive regime. Homeotropic cells with these mixtures exhibit a direct transition to isotropic electroconvection, while planar cells show a Fréedericksz transition to the quasi-homeotropic state and subsequent electroconvection at higher voltages. A temperature-induced change from normal and oblique convection rolls to longitudinal rolls reveals a transition from standard electroconvection to nonstandard electroconvection, which can be attributed to a sign inversion of the conductivity anisotropy. In summary, this system shows an unusually large variety of patterns and effects, which were observed and theoretically considered more recently in other systems of quite different types.

Influence of Proton and Salt Concentration on the Chromonic Liquid Crystal Phase Diagram of Disodium Cromoglycate Solutions: Prospects and Limitations of a Host for DNA Nanostructures.

Lyotropic chromonic liquid crystals have recently been suggested for use as a self-organized host for dispersing and aligning self-organized DNA origami nanostructures. However, an appropriate pH value and a suitable cation concentration are necessary to stabilize such nanostructures and to avoid unfolding of the DNA. The present study shows that the nematic and columnar liquid crystal phases appearing in aqueous solutions of disodium cromoglycate are robust against the replacement of deionized water by a neutral or alkaline buffer solution. However, disodium cromoglycate precipitates when an acidic buffer is used or when the concentration of magnesium cations exceeds a critical concentration of about 0.6-0.7 mmol/L.

Alignment and Graphene-Assisted Decoration of Lyotropic Chromonic Liquid Crystals Containing DNA Origami Nanostructures.

Composites of DNA origami nanostructures dispersed in a lyotropic chromonic liquid crystal are studied by polarizing optical microscopy. The homogeneous aqueous dispersions can be uniformly aligned by confinement between two glass substrates, either parallel to the substrates owing to uniaxial rubbing or perpendicular to the substrates using ozonized graphene layers. These opportunities of uniform alignment may pave the way for tailored anisometric plasmonic DNA nanostructures to photonic materials. In addition, a decorated texture with nonuniform orientation is observed on substrates coated with pristine graphene. When the water is allowed to evaporate slowly, microscopic crystal needles appear, which are aligned along the local orientation of the director. This decoration method can be used for studying the local orientational order and the defects in chromonic liquid crystals.

Stabilization/solidification of lead in MSWI fly ash with mercapto functionalized dendrimer Chelator.

This work compares the performance of stabilizing Pb by Sodium sulfide (Na2S), Sodium phosphate (Na3PO4), thiourea (H2NCSNH2), and mercapto functionalized dendrimer (TEPA-SNa) in MSWI fly ash, including leaching toxicity analysis and leaching behavior analysis, as a function of pH. The leaching toxicity in fly ash indicated that leaching value of Pb stabilized by Na2S, Na3PO4, and H2NCSNH2 has remained higher than the limit value (0.25mg/L) with a dosage of 10%. However, the leaching value associated with TEPA-SNa approaches zero at a dosage of 3%. The effective leaching test results showed the leaching amount of Pb stabilized by TEPA-SNa with a dosage of 3% to be 3.58 mg/kg less than the maximum allowable amount of leaching (5mg/kg), but the amount of Pb leached by Na2S, Na3PO4, and H2NCSNH2 was much higher than 5mg/kg. The leaching behavior of Pb as a function of pH showed that the leaching concentration of Pb stabilized by TEPA-SNa can approach zero at a dosage of 5% no matter how the pH changes. In summary, TEPA-SNa can interact with Pb(2+) in the acid-base environment and effectively immobilize Pb(2+) in fly ash in the long term.

Enzymatic removal of paracetamol from aqueous phase: horseradish peroxidase immobilized on nanofibrous membranes.

Paracetamol is a widely used as an analgesic and an antipyretic that can easily accumulate in aquatic environments. This study aimed to enhance paracetamol removal efficiency from water by combining the biocatalytic activity of horseradish peroxidase (HRP) with the adsorption of nanofibrous membrane. Poly(vinyl alcohol)/poly(acrylic acid)/SiO2 electrospinning nanofibrous membrane was prepared with fiber diameters of 200 to 300 nm. The membrane was made insoluble by the thermal cross-linking process. HRP, which was previously activated by 1,1'-carbonyldiimidazole, was covalently immobilized on the surface of nanofibers. Immobilized HRP retained 79.4 % of the activity of free HRP. The physical, chemical, and biochemical properties of the immobilized HRP and its application in paracetamol removal were comprehensively investigated. Immobilized HRP showed better storage capability and higher tolerance to the changes in pH and temperature than free HRP. Paracetamol removal rate by immobilized HRP (83.5 %) was similar to that of free HRP (84.4 %), but immobilized HRP showed excellent reusability. The results signify that enzyme immobilized on nanofibers has great application potential in water treatment.

Amino acid assisted templating synthesis of hierarchical zeolitic imidazolate framework-8 for efficient arsenate removal.

We report the strategy of using the cationic surfactant cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB) and amino acid L-histidine (His) as co-templates to produce hierarchical ZIF-8 in an aqueous system at room temperature. The hierarchical ZIF-8 had both meso- and microporous structure, resulting in a high mesopore volume as well as specific surface area which can be controlled by the synthesis conditions. We put forward the hypothesis for the formation of a mesoporous structure and the enhancement of the porosity of ZIF-8 that the histidine plays a key role on the stabilization of CTAB micelles and avoiding the production of unexpected by-products therefore promotes the fabrication of pure phase ZIF-8 containing the mesopores interconnected with micropores. The prepared hierarchical ZIF-8 exhibited an excellent performance as a new kind of porous absorbent for efficient removal of the toxic arsenate.

Laccase-polyacrylonitrile nanofibrous membrane: highly immobilized, stable, reusable, and efficacious for 2,4,6-trichlorophenol removal.

Increasing attention has been given to nanobiocatalysis for commercial applications. In this study, laccase was immobilized on polyacrylonitrile (PAN) nanofibrous membranes through ethanol/HCl method of amidination reaction and successfully applied for removal of 2,4,6-trichlorophenol (TCP) from water. PAN membranes with fiber diameters from 200 nm to 300 nm were fabricated via electrospinning and provided a large surface area for enzyme immobilization and catalytic reactions. Images of scanning electron microscope demonstrated the enzyme molecules were aggregated on the nanofiber surface. The immobilized laccase exhibited 72% of the free enzyme activity and kept 60% of its initial activity after 10 operation cycles. Moreover, the storage stability of the immobilized laccase was considered excellent because they maintained more than 92% of the initial activity after 18 days of storage, whereas the free laccase retained only 20%. The laccase-PAN nanofibrous membranes exhibited high removal efficiency of TCP under the combined actions of biodegradation and adsorption. More than 85% of the TCP was removed under optimum conditions. Effects of various factors on TCP removal efficiency of the immobilized laccase were analyzed. Results suggest that laccase-PAN nanofibrous membranes can be used in removing TCP from aqueous sources and have potential for use in other commercial applications.

Immobilization of horseradish peroxidase on electrospun microfibrous membranes for biodegradation and adsorption of bisphenol A.

Horseradish peroxidase (HRP) from roots of horseradish (Amoracia rusticana) was successfully immobilized on novel enzyme carriers, poly(methyl methacrylate-co-ethyl acrylate) (PMMA CEA) microfibrous membranes, and used for removal of bisphenol A from water. PMMA CEA fibrous membranes (PFM) with fiber diameters of 300-500 nm, were fabricated by electrospinning. HRP was covalently immobilized on the surface of microfibers previously activated by polyethylenimine and glutaraldehyde. HRP loading reached 285 mg/g, and enzyme activity was 70% of free HRP after immobilization. Both stabilities and reusability of HRP were greatly improved after immobilization. After six repeated runs, immobilized HRP retained about 50% of its initial activity. Immobilized HRP exhibited significantly higher removal efficiency for bisphenol A (BPA) in 3h (93%) compared with free HRP (61%) and PFM alone (42%). The high BPA removal can be resulted by improvement of catalytic activity of immobilized HPR with adsorption on modified PMMA CEA support.

Preparation and application of amino functionalized mesoporous nanofiber membrane via electrospinning for adsorption of Cr3+ from aqueous solution.

Novel amino (-NH2) functionalized mesoporous polyvinyl pyrrolidone (PVP)/SiO2 composite nanofiber membranes were fabricated by a one-step electrospinning method using poly (vinyl alcohol) and tetraethyl orthosilicate (TEOS) mixed with cationic surfactant, cetyltrimethyl ammonium bromide (CTAB) as the structure directing agent. Ureidopropyltriethoxysilane was used for functionalization of the internal pore surfaces. The membranes were characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM) images, X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), element analyzer and N2 adsorption-desorption isotherms. The nanofiber diameters, average pore diameters and surface areas were 100-700 nm, 2.86 nm and 873.62 m2/g, respectively. These mesoporous membranes functionalized with -NH2 groups exhibited very high adsorptions properties based on the adsorption of Cr3+ from an aqueous solution. Equilibrium adsorption was achieved after approximately 20 min and more than 97% of chromium ions in the solution were removed. The membrane could be regenerated through acidification.