Synthetic Activated Carbons for the Removal of Hydrogen Cyanide from Air

Copper containing and copper free synthetic activated carbons produced from porous sulfonated styrene/divinylbenzene resin were studied for assessing the removal efficiency of HCN vapors from air. The pore structures and surface chemistry of these activated carbons were analyzed through N2 physisorption at 77K and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), respectively. Incorporation of copper into starting material significantly increased HCN breakthrough times, but decreased benzene breakthrough times. The surface area and pore volume of the adsorbents also decreased with incorporation of copper. Results of XPS analysis revealed partial or complete reduction of the starting divalent copper on the surface of the adsorbents confirmed by the lack of formation of (CN)2 during the adsorption of HCN. The performance of copper containing water vapor activated adsorbent was compared to the performance of ASC Whetlerite carbon

A novel lectin from the sponge Haliclona cratera: isolation, characterization and biological activity

A lectin from the Adriatic sponge Haliclona cratera was purified by ion-exchange and gel chromatography The molecular mass of the lectin is approximately 29 kDa. Purified lectin is rich in hydrophobic and basic amino acids and has an isoelectric point at pH 8.6. H. cratera lectin is relatively heat- and pH-stable. It agglutinates native and trypsinized, papainized and neuraminidase-treated human A, B, O, AB and sheep erythrocytes, and the hemagglutinating activity is independent of Ca2+, Mn2+ and Mg2+ ions; D-galactose and N-acetyl-D-galactosamine are found to be moderate inhibitors of the activity. H. cratera lectin displays cytotoxic effect on HeLa and FemX cells and weak mitogenic effect on human T-lymphocytes pretreated with phytohemagglutinin (PHA). (C) 2002 Elsevier Science Inc. All rights reserved