The magnetically assisted removal of fatty acids from organic solutions and vegetable oils using iron oxide magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs) was investigated. The effect of contact time and concentration on the adsorption of oleic acid from ethanol–hexane solutions was investigated at room temperature using equilibrium batch experiments. The results showed that the adsorption is rapid (<2 h) and follows a pseudo-second-order model. The adsorption isotherm was found to follow the Langmuir model and the maximum adsorption capacity of oleic acid was determined to be 125 mg g⁻¹. FTIR analyses of the magnetically separated MNPs demonstrated the covalent binding of the carboxylic group to the particle surface in a bidentate/bridging manner. Thermogravimetric analyses showed that the adsorption capacity of MNPs is very similar for the most common fatty acids in vegetable oils (palmitic, stearic, oleic and linoleic acids). Desorption of fatty acids was readily achieved upon basic treatment and the regenerated magnetite nanoparticles were found to be recyclable for repeated use. The separation of fatty acids from olive and sunflower oils was investigated without added solvent. MNPs were found to remove up to 85% of the fatty acids in the oil within 2 h with a 10 wt% load at room temperature, without alteration of the pigment composition.

The oxygen reduction (ORR) and hydrogen evolution (HER) reactions are the most important cathodic processes involved in fuel cell and water splitting, respectively.

Tetracationic porphyrin (TMPyP) molecules were incorporated into an optically transparent TiO2 thin film, prepared by Glancing Angle Physical Vapour Deposition (GAPVD), by simple infiltration (at pH 6.4). The preparation of optically transparent TMPyP/TiO2 composite thin films provides a method for the integration of the porphyrin molecules into photonic devices for direct monitoring of gases. Previously, UV-visible and fluorescence spectral techniques have been used to study the reversible protonation of TMPyP in aqueous solution. The optical spectrum of TMPyP shows an intense Soret band at 423 nm with a 22 nm red shift upon protonation by HCl. The experimental conditions for monitoring the concentration of HCl gas by absorption spectroscopy have been optimized. The maximum absorbance change was observed at the Soret band wavelength. A selected temperature of 80 °C and a 300 s recovery period were found to be the optimum operating parameters (response time t50 = 16.8 ± 0.7 s). The composite with smaller surface concentration of TMPyP (¿ = 0.3 × 10-9 mol cm -2) presented the best detection limit (0.1 ppm). The response of the composite sensor was highly stable for several months. © 2010 Elsevier B.V.Peer Reviewe

Pathogenic bacteria have the ability to develop antibiotic resistance mechanisms. Their action consists mainly in the production of bacterial enzymes that inactivate antibiotics or the appearance of modifications that prevent the arrival of the drug at the target point or the alteration of the target point itself, becoming a growing problem for health systems. Chitosan–gold nanoparticles (Cs-AuNPs) have been shown as effective bactericidal materials avoiding damage to human cells. In this work, Cs-AuNPs were synthesized using chitosan as the reducing agent, and a systematic analysis of the influence of the synthesis parameters on the size and zeta potential of the Cs-AuNPs and their UV-vis spectra was carried out. We used a simulation model to characterize the interaction of chitosan with bacterial membranes, using a symmetric charged bilayer and two different chitosan models with different degrees of the chitosan amine protonation as a function of pH, with the aim to elucidate the antibacterial mechanism involving the cell wall disruption. The Cs-AuNP antibacterial activity was evaluated to check the simulation model.