Water structure in fungi Amanita musscaria and their composite system with hydrocompacted nanosilica A-300

The state of water in the fruit body of the Amanita muscaria mushroom and its composite with “wetting-drying”nanosilica A-300 was studied by low-temperature 1H NMR spectroscopy. It was found that even in the initial biomaterial, part of the water is in a weakly associated state. After drying, the portion of weakly bound water decreases, but in the medium of CDCl3, almost all water becomes weakly boned. This effect is accompanied by a threefold increase (from 3.4 to 10.3 J/g) of the total binding energy of water, which, is probably due to the transition of water from the system of spherical (cylindrical) clusters to a two-dimensional film, uniformly distributed over the surface of the biomaterial. It is suggested that due to the binding by the surface of the silica from the composite, the toxic substances present in the mushroom in the form of complexes with enzymes, will not be desorbed

CHANGE IN BLOOD GELSOLIN CONCENTRATION IN RESPONSE TO PHYSICAL EXERCISE

Plasma gelsolin (pGSN) produced by muscle is an abundant protein of extracellular fluids capable of severing actin filaments and eliminating actin from the circulation. Additionally, pGSN modulates the cellular effects of some bioactive lipids. In this study we test the hypothesis that hormonal and metabolic adaptations to exercise are associated with changes in gelsolin concentration in blood. Plasma samples were collected from twenty healthy males recruited from untrained (UT, n=10) and endurance trained (ET, n=10) groups that performed 30-60 minutes of exercise on a cycloergometer at a workload corresponding to 700of VO2max. Gelsolin concentration was determined by quantitative Western blot analysis with an anti-human gelsolin antibody. The gelsolin concentration in UT and ET subjects before starting exercise ranged from 104 to 330 and 163 to 337 µg•ml-1 respectively. After 30 minutes of exercise we observed a significant decrease of plasma gelsolin in the UT group (p<0.05) while the gelsolin concentration in the ET group rose on average from 244 to 271 µg•ml-1. However, this increase did not reach statistical significance. Endurance training might increase the ability of muscle tissue to express plasma gelsolin as part of an adaptive mechanism

Characterization of Porosity and Thermal Properties of Ni-Doped Carbosils Obtained by Starch Gelation

This paper presents the studies of effects of different Ni 2+ contents on the structural and thermal properties of carbosils prepared by deposition of carbon matter (starch gelation) on the silica gel (Si-50) matrix. These mesoporous materials were characterized by a varied pore structure with developed surface and large pore volume. The porous structure of the initial silica gel and carbosils was characterized by the low-temperature nitrogen adsorption/desorption method as well as by pore-size distribution calculated from the calorimetric data by analyzing the thermal effects of liquid-phase transitions (water, n-decane and 1-decanol) confined in the pores of porous materials. The interfacial behaviour of different media confined incarbosil pores during the freezing/melting processes of obtained materials was studied. The results show that different catalyst contents have a significant effect on the porous structure formation

Activated biocarbons obtained from lignocellulosic precursors as potential adsorbents of ammonia

The investigated materials were new biocarbons: FC (Fir Cone), FS (Fir Sawdust), FB (Fir Bark), BS (Birch Sawdust), BB (Birch Bark), AS (Acacia Sawdust), AB (Acacia Bark), OS (Oak Sawdust), OB (Oak Bark), HS (Hornbeam Sawdust)) obtained via pyrolysis and CO2 activation of wood waste (lignocellulosic biomass). In order to study the influence of the carbon precursor on the physicochemical properties of biocarbons there were used the precursors: cones, sawdust, and bark of various tree species. The obtained adsorbents were characterized based on the results, of the N2 adsorption, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), elemental analysis (CHNS), thermogravimetry (TG), derivative thermogravimetry (DTG), and differential thermal analysis (DTA), Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy FT-IR (ATR) and the Boehm’s titration method as well as pHpzc (the point of zero charge). The adsorption capacity and the temperature-programmed desorption (TPD) of ammonia were also studied. The obtained activated biocarbons were characterized by the large specific surface area (515 to 1286 m2/g) and the total pore volume (0.27 to 0.46 cm3/g) as well as the well-developed microporous structure (76 - 90%). The maximum NH3 adsorption capacity of the activated biocarbon was determined to be 2.93 mmol/g (FC (Fir Cone)). These results prove that the lignocellulosic precursors are appropriate for preparation of environmentally friendly and cost-effective biocarbons

Biochars from wood biomass as effective methylene blue adsorbents

Forest waste is a significant ecological and economic problem, requiring effective solutions that will not only reduce its quantity but also contribute to the protection of the natural environment. This research paper focuses on the use of sawdust from mixed trees, as one of the main forest wastes, for production of biochars characterized by adsorption properties. Sawdust, a by-product of the wood industry, has a porous structure, which makes it an attractive precursor to biochar. Using pyrolysis technology and hydrothermal activation under various conditions, sawdust was transformed into biochars with a developed specific surface area. The studies proved that the parameters of the pyrolysis process have a significant impact on the structural, surface and adsorption properties of biochars. The materials were characterized based on the results of N2 adsorption, scanning electron microscopy SEM/EDS, thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (ATR-FTIR) and Raman spectroscopy. The surface characterization was made using the Boehm titration and pHpzc determination. The sorption capacity of methylene blue (MB) was studied. It was stated, that the obtained materials were characterized by a large specific surface area (227.5 – 1019 m2/g), the micro/mesoporous structure and the large pores volume (0.106 – 0.784 cm3/g). The surface oxygen functionalities allowed for large adsorption of MB. The adsorption process follows the Langmuir theory (qm,cal from 357.1 to 434.8 mg/g) and can be described using the kinetic pseudo-second-order model (R2 = 0.99). The obtained biochars showed high adsorption capacity of methylene blue impurities which indicates their significant potential for use in water purification

Organic bio-wastes as potential precursors used for preparation of activated carbons- review

Currently significant amounts of wastes, which pose a real threat to the natural environment and human health, are produced worldwide. One way to get rid of waste materials is to dispose them in landfills but some of them no longer perform their function due to overfilling. For this reason, scientists pay more and more attention to the search for  their possible disposal and/or recycling, as it is impossible to prevent its generation completely. Recently, many researchers have taken up the topic of the use of agri-food wastes due to their low cost and widespread availability as a starting material for the production of activated carbons. As a result, it was found out that organic wastes are very successful precursors of organic matter and the obtained activated carbons are characterized by a very well developed porous structure. The paper presents a literature review regarding the possibility of using various waste materials under different impregnation and preparation conditions to obtain activated carbons with a developed surface area and good adsorption properties

Structural and photocatalytic properties of Ni-TiO2 photocatalysts prepared by mechanochemical synthesis assisted with calcination

In the study the mechanochemical synthesis in the planetary ball mill was used to prepare photocatalytic materials obtained on the basis of TiO2 and nickel(II) acetylacetonate as a Ni2+ source. Three materials with different contents of Ni2+: 5, 10 and 20% wt. were prepared. The obtained materials were calcinated at 800°C for 1 h. Their physicochemical properties were investigated using the N2 adsorption/desorption, FT-IR/PAS, XRD, UV-Vis/DRS and SEM methods. Additionally, thermal stability of the obtained materials was examined (TGA/DTG/DTA). Photocatalytic activity of the samples was tested in relation to the aqueous solution of Safranin T (initial concentration C0 = 1×10-5 mol L-1) at the visible light (Vis). The results indicate that the mechanochemical synthesis is an effective and simple method for preparing materials with photocatalytic properties. All obtained materials were characterized by greater photocatalytic activity compared to the initial TiO2

The effect of hydrothermal modification of titanium phosphate on the adsorption affinity towards cadmium ions

The effect of hydrothermal treatment of the gel or xerogel oftitanium phosphate (TiP) sample on the surface properties was studied usingthe EDS and FTIR ATR methods. The results show that the hydrothermal treatment of initial titanium phosphate decreases the amount of physically adsorbed water but increases the surface concentration of phosphate groups. Supplementary measurements of electrokinetic properties of modified and hydrothermally modified titanium phosphate samples confirmed an increase of the concentration of acidic groups on theTiP surface. The adsorption affinity of titanium phosphate towards cadmium ions was discussed. It was found that at a low initial concentration of cadmium ions adsorption affinity increases as a resultof hydrothermal treatment of TiP gel

Activated Carbon from Agricultural Wastes for Adsorption of Organic Pollutants

Agricultural waste materials (strawberry seeds and pistachio shells) were used for preparation of activated carbons by two various methods. Chemical activation using acetic acid and physical activation with gaseous agents (carbon dioxide and water vapor) were chosen as mild and environmentally friendly methods. The effect of type of raw material, temperature, and activation agent on the porous structure characteristics of the materials was discussed applying various methods of analysis. The best obtained activated carbons were characterized by high values of specific surface area (555&ndash;685 m2/g). The Guinier analysis of small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) curves showed that a time of activation affects pore size. The samples activated using carbon dioxide were characterized mostly by the spherical morphology of pores. Adsorbents were utilized for removal of the model organic pollutants from the single- and multicomponent systems. The adsorption capacities for the 4-chloro-2-methyphenoxyacetic acid (MCPA) removal were equal to 1.43&ndash;1.56 mmol/g; however, for adsorbent from strawberry seeds it was much lower. Slight effect of crystal violet presence on the MCPA adsorption and inversely was noticed as a result of adsorption in different types of pores. For similar herbicides strong competition in capacity and adsorption rate was observed. For analysis of kinetic data various equations were used