Enhancing the anticorrosion performance of mild steel in sulfuric acid using synthetic non-ionic surfactants: practical and theoretical studies

The anticorrosion potency of Sabic mild steel (MS) in 0.5 M H2SO4 solution was enhanced by three synthetic non-ionic surfactants (NI Surf.) containing pyridine and pyrimidine derivatives. These compounds are safe, environmentally friendly, and harmless to human health. Chemical and electrochemical measurements were used to compute the corrosion parameters. The anticorrosion efficacy increases with increasing the concentration of NI Surf. and with lowering temperature, surface and interfacial tension, and critical micelle concentration. The effectiveness of anticorrosion is interpreted due to the spontaneous horizontal adsorption on the surface of MS by the existence of some active centers that facilitate the adsorption. The adsorption process obeys Temkin isotherm. Potentiodynamic polarization elucidated that the synthetic NI Surf. acted as mixed-type inhibitors. Some surface properties were determined and confirm the anticorrosive effect of these molecules. Quantum chemical parameters as reactivity descriptors were carried out. It should be noted that the results obtained from computational calculations of the specifications are in full agreement with the experimental observations. There is good compatibility between the anticorrosion efficiency obtained from various techniques and surface properties and quantum chemical calculation

Competence of tunable Cu2AlSnS4 chalcogenides hydrophilicity toward high efficacy photodegradation of spiramycin antibiotic resistance-bacteria from wastewater under visible light irradiation

Nowadays, removal of pollutants from urban wastewater treatment plants (UWTPs) remains a big challenge. The macrolides antibiotics are particularly present in higher levels in unprocessed wastewater and are often partially reduced by conservative managements. The photocatalysis process was categorised amongst the miscellaneous progressive oxidation methods (AOPs) with high capacity for successful removal of pharmaceuticals from numerous aqueous matrices. In the present work and for the first time, chemical spray pyrolysis was used to synthesize CuFeAlSnS (x = 0, 0.25, 0.50, 0.75 and 1) thin films. Sprayed films were investigated using many techniques such as: MAUD software (Material Analysis Using Diffraction), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy dispersive X-ray spectrometry (EDX), spectrophotometer and Hall effect and drop shape analysis system (DSA). MAUD software revealed a polycrystalline nature for CuAlSnS (CATS) with slight shift of diffraction peaks depicted at 2θ = 27.84°, 47.03° and 55.93°, which identified respectively to (0 0 2), (1 1 0) and (1 1 2) plans. In addition, SEM images show that CuAlSnS grows with many rod-shaped structures that closely attached to each other. It is clearly seen that CATS thin film exhibited the highest extinction coefficient value (K) than other CFATS films. Additionally, a special emphasis focused on surface wettability of CFATS films showing a hydrophilic character surface using spiramycin (SPY) macrolide antibiotic liquid. Its worth mentioning that the hydrophilic type has a distinguished helpful role on the photocatalytic process that may be associated with the active surface area and the high adsorption of liquid. Based on the relationships between photocatalysis and hydrophilicity, the behaviors of SnO:F, CATS films and coupled CATS/SnO:F photocatalysis were tested using 20 mg/L of spiramycin (SPY) macrolide antibiotic in aqueous solution. Spiramycin removal competence using SnO:F, CATS films and coupled CATS/SnO:F was increased after being reused 120 min. Consequently, the current work can open a new area for effectiveness of CATS/SnO:F surface which recognized in order to manufacture a self-disinfecting and self-cleaning, removal of high antibiotics bacteria-resistance.The authors would like to acknowledge the Deanship of Scientific Research at Umm Al-Qura University for supporting this work by Grant code: 22UQU4350568DSR02. Also, the author would thank Dr. Ziad Moussa, United Arab Emirates University, as native English specker (Canadian) for his valuable editing and revision the manuscrip

Exploration of spray pyrolysis technique in preparation of absorber material CFATS: Unprecedented hydrophilic surface and antibacterial properties

In this study, we achieve the production of nontoxic CuFeAlSnS films (x = 0, 0.25, 0.50, 0.75 and 1) by substituting Fe with Al atoms. Physical properties of the investigated films were studied using: Energy dispersive X-ray spectrometry (EDX), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), Raman spectroscopy, spectrophotometer and drop shape analysis system (DSA). The formation of new quaternary CuAlSnS (CATS) chalcogenide for x = 1 was proven from EDX study. Notably, the major diffraction peaks were located at 2θ = 28.34°, 47.43° and 55.93° which are respectively tagged as (1 1 2), (2 0 4), and (3 1 2) plans, confirming the stannite crystal structure of CuAlSnS film. The morphological states show a nanofiber structure accompanied with voids and cavities for CATS films. Tauc-relation plot reveals direct energy bandgap, close to 1.52 eV, which proves the absorber film type of CuAlSnS. The effluent toxicity of the obtained thin films has been assessed using the inhibition of Gram-positive (Staphylococcus aureus) and Gram-negative (Escherichia coli) bacteria and indicated good antibacterial activity of the CATS/SnO:F heterojunction. The viability rates against S. aureus achieved 40 %, 31 % and 15% for SnO:F, CuAlSnS films and CATS/SnO:F heterojunction. These results highlight the great antibacterial activity of coupled CATS/SnO:F. Therefore this research underscores the effectiveness of CATS/SnO:F surface which demonstrates self-disinfecting and self-cleaning with hydrophilicity and high antibacterial activity.The authors would like to acknowledge the Deanship of Scientific Research at Umm Al-Qura University for supporting this work by Grant code: 22UQU4350568DSR01. Also, the author would thank Dr. Ziad Moussa, United Arab Emirates University, as native English specker (Canadian) for his valuable editing and revision the manuscrip