In this study, Chinese yam peel (CYP) was modified with polypyrrole via an in situ polymerization method to remove Congo red from aqueous media.

Currently, magnetic technology and green solvents are widely used in chemical engineering, environmental engineering and other fields as they are environmentally friendly, easy to operate and highly efficient. Moreover, a magnetic field has positive effect on many physicochemical processes. However, related new methods, materials, strategies and applications in separation science still need to be developed. In this review, a series of meaningful explorations of magnetic technologies for the separation of natural products and biologic objects, including magnetic ionic liquids and other magnetic solvents and fluids, magnetic nanoparticles and magnetic fields, and the development of magnetic separators were reviewed. Furthermore, the difficulties in the application and development of magnetic separation technology were discussed on the basis of comparison and data analysis, especially for the selection of magnetic materials and magnetic field sources. Finally, the progress in the development of magnetic separators was also elaborated for researchers, mainly including that of the new high-efficiency magnetic separator through multi-technology integration and the optimization of traditional magnetic separators, which help current techniques break through their bottleneck as a powerful driving force.

Broussonetia papyrifera leaves were successfully converted into new magnetic adsorbents, including pretreatment using ionic liquid and magnetization via a coprecipitation technology. The resultant magnetic adsorbent was characterized with infrared spectroscopy (IR), transmission electron microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, and X-ray diffraction. Then, it was selected to adsorb methylene blue from aqueous solutions. The adsorption behaviors could be described well by pseudo-second-order kinetic and Langmuir isotherm models. The thermodynamic analysis for adsorption displayed that the process was exothermic and feasible spontaneous. Moreover, it exhibited a well reusability in the regeneration test. This adsorbent might be an alternative candidate with the advantageous properties of simplicity, repeatability, and convenient separation for pollutant removal.

In this study, polypyrrole (PPy) was introduced into durian rind (DR) by in situ polymerization method to prepare durian rind/polypyrrole (DR/PPy) composite. The resulting material was characterized using scanning electron microscope (SEM), transmission electron microscope (TEM), infrared spectroscopy (IRS), and X-ray diffraction (XRD). Then, the removing performance of the DR/PPy material for anionic dyes was explored. The impact of key variables such as the amount of adsorbent, initial dye concentration, pH, adsorption temperature, and contacting time on the adsorption efficiency was examined. The result disclosed that the adsorption efficiency of DR/PPy for methyl orange, sunset yellow, and amaranth was satisfactory. In pH of 7, initial concentration of 100 μg mL^-1, and DR/PPy dosage of 1.5 g L^-1, the removal efficiency reached 97.31%, 98.48%, and 98.20%, respectively. The adsorptive kinetics and thermodynamic process were analyzed subsequently. The adsorption of anionic dyes on DR/PPy conforms to the pseudo-second-order kinetic and Langmuir isotherm models with maximum adsorption capacity ([ ]) of 193.05, 171.23, and 147.71 mg g^-1 for methyl orange, sunset yellow, and amaranth, respectively. Finally, a possible mechanism involved in the adsorption system was put forward. This study implies a reasonable feasibility for the effective utilization of waste to control the pollution.

Human papillomavirus type 16 (HPV16), one of the high-risk types, is responsible for 53% of cervical cancers. The development of an early diagnostic approach with high sensitivity, low-cost, point-of-care testing (POCT) for HPV16 is urgent. In our work, a novel dual-functional AuPt nanoalloy-based lateral flow nucleic acid biosensor (AuPt nanoalloy-based LFNAB) was established with excellent sensitivity for detecting HPV16 DNA for the first time. The AuPt nanoalloy particles were prepared by a one-step reduction method, which was simple, rapid, and green. The AuPt nanoalloy particles retained the performance of initial Au nanoparticles owing to the catalytic activity enabled by Pt. Such dual-functionalities offered two kinds of detection alternatives (i.e., normal mode and amplification mode, respectively). The former is produced just by the black color from the AuPt nanoalloy material itself, and the latter is more color sensitive from its superior catalytic activity. The optimized AuPt nanoalloy-based LFNAB exhibited satisfactory quantitative ability in detecting the target HPV16 DNA in the range of 5–200 pM with a LOD of 0.8 pM at the “amplification mode”. The proposed dual-functional AuPt nanoalloy-based LFNAB displayed great potential and promising opportunity in POCT clinical diagnostics.