Although several studies have explored green adsorbent synthesized from many types of agriculture waste, this study represents the first attempt to prepare an environmentally friendly rice bran/SnO2/Fe3O4-based absorbent with economic viability and material reusability, for the promotion of sustainable development. Here, rice bran/SnO2/Fe3O4 composites were successfully synthesized and applied for adsorption of reactive blue 4 (RB4) and crystal violet (CV) dyes in aqueous solutions. The adsorption data were well-fitted by the Langmuir isotherm model and the pseudo-second-order kinetic model. The maximum adsorption capacities of the RB4 and CV dyes as indicated by the Langmuir isotherm model were 218.82 and 159.24 mg/g, respectively. As results of response surface methodology (RSM) showed, the quadratic model was appropriate to predict the performance of RB4 dye removal. The findings exhibited that an optimum removal rate of 98% was achieved at 60 °C for pH 2.93 and adsorption time of 360 min. Comparative evaluation of different agricultural wastes indicated that the rice bran/SnO2/Fe3O4 composite appeared to be a highly promising material in terms of regeneration and reusability, and showed that the composite is a potential adsorbent for dye removal from aqueous solutions. Overall, the study results clearly suggest that an adsorbent synthesized from rice bran/SnO2/Fe3O4 magnetic particle composites provides encouraging adsorption capacity for practical applications for environmental prevention.
This research work reports an approach used to prepare a SnO2 photocatalyst by precipitation and calcination pathways and describes an investigation of the effects of preparation parameters on SnO2 yield. The SnO2 photocatalyst was further used for the photocatalytic degradation of Congo red (CR) dye, and the removal efficiency was optimized using response surface methodology. The results indicate that the SnO2 photocatalyst yield was the highest in 0.05 M of the precursor, stannous chloride and 28 wt % ammonia as the precipitant, pH 10, at 30 °C. The transmission electron microscopy results of the SnO2 photocatalyst illustrate that the average particle size was mainly around 30–50 nm and had a solid spherical shape. The X-ray diffraction results reveal that the prepared sample had a highly crystalline SnO2 rutile crystal structure. The prediction and experimental results of the Response surface methodology (RSM) indicate that, when the reaction time was 97 min, the operating temperature was 47 °C, the photocatalyst dosage was 751 mg/L, and the optimal degradation rate of the CR dye was 100%. After five consecutive photodegradation reactions, the degradation rate remained at 100%. The results demonstrated that the SnO2 photocatalyst prepared in this study possesses excellent reusability.
Hydrogel beads based on the husk of agarwood fruit (HAF)/sodium alginate (SA), and based on the HAF/chitosan (CS) were developed for the removal of the dyes, crystal violet (CV) and reactive blue 4 (RB4), in aqueous solutions, respectively. The effects of the initial pH (2–10) of the dye solution, the adsorbent dosage (0.5–3.5 g/L), and contact time (0–540 min) were investigated in a batch system. The dynamic adsorption behavior of CV and RB4 can be represented well by the pseudo-second-order model and pseudo-first-order model, respectively. In addition, the adsorption isotherm data can be explained by the Langmuir isotherm model. Both hydrogel beads have acceptable adsorption selectivity and reusability for the study of selective adsorption and regeneration. Based on the effectiveness, selectivity, and reusability of these hydrogel beads, they can be treated as potential adsorbents for the removal of dyes in aqueous solutions.
In the scientific industry, sustainable nanotechnology has attracted great attention and has been successful in facilitating solutions to challenges presented in various fields. For the present work, silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) were prepared using a chemical reduction synthesis method. Then, a low-temperature sintering process was deployed to obtain an Ag-conductive ink preparation which could be applied to a flexible substrate. The size and shape of the AgNPs were characterized by ultraviolet–visible spectrophotometry (UV-Vis) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The experiments indicated that the size and agglomeration of the AgNPs could be well controlled by varying the reaction time, reaction temperature, and pH value. The rate of nanoparticle generation was the highest when the reaction temperature was 100 °C within the 40 min reaction time, achieving the most satisfactorily dispersed nanoparticles and nanoballs with an average size of 60.25 nm at a pH value of 8. Moreover, the electrical resistivity of the obtained Ag-conductive ink is controllable, under the optimal sintering temperature and time (85 °C for 5 min), leading to an optimal electrical resistivity of 9.9 × 10−6 Ω cm. The results obtained in this study, considering AgNPs and Ag-conductive ink, may also be extended to other metals in future research.
To maximize the extraction of antioxidants from Chenopodium formosanum seeds, the process factors, such as the ethanol concentration (0–100%), extraction time (30–180 min) and temperature (30–70 °C), for the extraction of the bioactive contents as well as the antioxidant capacity are evaluated using response surface methodology (RSM). The experimental results fit well with quadratic models. The extract was identified by GC/MS, and it was found that some active compounds had antioxidant, repellency and insecticidal activities. Various concentrations of the extract were prepared for the evaluation of the insecticidal activity against Tribolium castaneum, and the toxicity test results indicated that the extract was toxic to Tribolium castaneum, with an LC50 value of 354.61 ppm. The oxidative stability of the olive oil determined according to the radical scavenging activity and p-anisidine test demonstrates that the extract obtained from the Chenopodium formosanum seeds can retard lipid oxidation.
Nanotechnology is used in a wide range of fields, including medicine, cosmetics, and new material development, and is one of the most popular technologies in the field of flexible electronic products. For the present work, the chemical reduction method with environmentally friendly reducing agents was used to synthesize copper nanoparticles (CuNPs) with good dispersibility. The CuNPs were characterized by transmission electron microscopy (TEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and ultraviolet–visible spectrophotometry (UV–vis). After the CuNPs were formed, the solvent, polymers, and additives were added to form copper ink. Finally, the prepared copper inks were applied to flexible polyethylene terephthalate (PET) substrate under low sintering temperature and the effects of sintering time and different concentrations of sintering agent on resistivity were investigated. The results show that the copper nanoparticles synthesized by secondary reduction were smaller, more uniform, and better dispersed than those formed by primary reduction. Ethylene glycol has reducing effects under high temperatures; therefore, the CuNPs formed using the mixed solvent were small and well dispersed. The copper ink was applied on the PET substrate, treated with a formic acid aqueous solution, and sintered at 130 °C for 60 min, and its resistivity was about 1.67 × 10−3 Ω cm. The proposed synthesizing method is expected to have potential applications in the flexible electronic products field.