The primary challenge in materials design and synthesis is achieving the balance between performance and economy for real-world application. This issue is addressed by creating a thiol functionalized porous organic polymer (POP) using simple free radical polymerization techniques to prepare a cost-effective material with a high density of chelating sites designed for mercury capture and therefore environmental remediation. The resulting POP is able to remove aqueous and airborne mercury with uptake capacities of 1216 and 630 mg g-1 , respectively. The material demonstrates rapid kinetics, capable of dropping the mercury concentration from 5 ppm to 1 ppb, lower than the US Environmental Protection Agency's drinking water limit (2 ppb), within 10 min. Furthermore, the material has the added benefits of recyclability, stability in a broad pH range, and selectivity for toxic metals. These results are attributed to the material's physical properties, which include hierarchical porosity, a high density of chelating sites, and the material's robustness, which improve the thiol availability to bind with mercury as determined by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and X-ray absorption fine structure studies. The work provides promising results for POPs as an economical material for multiple environmental remediation applications.

Efficient Mercury Capture Using Functionalized Porous Organic Polymer

Selective adsorption of organic dyes on graphene oxide: Theoretical and experimental analysis

Background/Purpose In this study, an acidophilic actinobacteria strain was used as a novel reducing agent for a single-step synthesis of nanostructure silver particles. We used a Streptacidiphilus durhamensis HGG16n isolate for efficient synthesis of bioactive silver nanoparticles [bio(AgNPs)] in an inexpensive, eco-friendly, and nontoxic manner. The obtained bio(AgNPs) exhibited unique physicochemical and biochemical properties. Methods Structural, morphological, and optical properties of the synthesized biocolloids were characterized by spectroscopy, dynamic light scattering, and electron microscopy approaches. The antimicrobial activity was evaluated using the well- and disc-diffusion methods. Results The obtained crystalline structure and stable biosynthesized silver nanoparticles ranged in size from 8 nm to 48 nm and were mostly spherical in shape. Antimicrobial assays of the silver nanoparticles against pathogenic bacteria showed the highest antimicrobial activity against Pseudomonas aeruginosa , Staphylococcus aureus , and Proteus mirabilis, followed by Escherichia coli , Klebsiella pneumoniae , and Bacillus subtilis . Moreover, the synergistic effect of bio(AgNPs) with various commercially available antibiotics was also evaluated. Conclusion These results provide insight into the development of new antimicrobial agents along with synergistic enhancement of the antibacterial mechanism against clinical bacteria.

Antimicrobial activity of biosilver nanoparticles produced by a novel Streptacidiphilus durhamensis strain

Natural bond orbital analysis, electronic structure, non-linear properties and vibrational spectral analysis of l-histidinium bromide monohydrate: A density functional theory

P.S. Kalsi

Papers

Spectroscopy of Organic Compounds