Chung Yuan Christian University

About: Chung Yuan Christian University is a education organization based out in Taoyuan City, Taiwan. It is known for research contribution in the topics: Membrane & Fuzzy logic. The organization has 9819 authors who have published 11623 publications receiving 213139 citations. The organization is also known as: Tiong-gôan-tāi-ha̍k & CYCU.

Microbial community of acetate utilizing denitrifiers in aerobic granules

Abstract: The aerobic sludge granules cultivated at high organic loading rates could effectively convert 100–700 mg l−1 nitrite to nitrogen gas with 400 or 1,200 mg l−1 dosed acetate. The denitrifying microbial community structure of the so-cultivated granules was investigated by 16S rRNA gene sequences and localized using fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH). The 16S rRNA gene phylotypes in the clone library and FISH probes used exhibited high diversity among the bacteria and denitrifying communities, with the members of Betaproteobacteria predominant that were closely related to families Comamonadaceae, Nitrosomonadaceae, Alcaligenaceae, and Rhodocyclaceae. The confocal laser scanning microscope and staining test revealed that active microbial community principally distributed at 200–250 μm beneath the outer surface, embedded in extracellular polymeric substances.

Adsorption process and mechanism of acetaminophen onto commercial activated carbon

Abstract: The presence of acetaminophen (also known as paracetamol; PRC) micropollutant in water can cause some potential health risks for human. In this study, commercial activated carbon (CAC), which has been oxidized with HNO3 by supplier to increase the oxygen-functional groups, was applied to remove PRC from water. Results demonstrated that CAC is a dominantly mesoporous material (accounting for 76.3%) with large surface area (SBET = 1284 m2/g) and high total pore volume (VTotal = 0.680 cm3/g). CAC possessed abundantly oxygen-containing functionalities and low pHPZC (4.95). Raman spectrum of CAC indicated that CAC possessed a more disordered structure with a high intensity ratio of D band and G band (ID/IG = 2.011). Adsorption study showed that the adsorption capacity of CAC towards PRC was less affected by solution pH value (2.0–10), and ionic strength (0–1.0 M NaCl), and different water matrixes (distilled water, tap water, coastal water, wastewater from water treatment plant, groundwater, and wastewater from beauty salon). The adsorption process occurred rapidly, with around 52% of PRC in solution (∼517 mg/L) being removed within 5 min of contact. The Langmuir maximum adsorption capacity of CAC was 221 mg/g under 1.0 g/L of CAC, pH 7.0, 25 °C, and initial concentration of paracetamol (∼100–1200 mg/L). The pore-filling was the most important mechanism. The SBET and VTotal of CAC after adsorption decreased (by approximately 96% for both) to 45.6 m2/g and 0.039 cm3/g, respectively. The second important mechanism involved in n-π interaction was established by a remarkably decrease in the band intensity (the FTIR spectrum after adsorption) at 1630 cm−1 (the C O group). Weak π-π interaction was confirmed a significant decrease in the ID/IG ratio from 2.011 to 1.947 after adsorption. Hydrogen bonding formations were recommended by decreasing band intensity in FTIR spectrum at 3448 cm−1 (O H) and 1045 cm−1 (C O). Weak van der Waals force was identified through the study of effect of solution temperature and desorption. Consequently, oxidized CAC can serve as a promising and potential material for efficiently eliminating PRC from water environments.

Surface Self-Assembled PEGylation of Fluoro-Based PVDF Membranes via Hydrophobic-Driven Copolymer Anchoring for Ultra-Stable Biofouling Resistance

Abstract: Stable biofouling resistance is significant for general filtration requirements, especially for the improvement of membrane lifetime. A systematic group of hyper-brush PEGylated diblock copolymers containing poly(ethylene glycol) methacrylate (PEGMA) and polystyrene (PS) was synthesized using an atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP) method and varying PEGMA lengths. This study demonstrates the antibiofouling membrane surfaces by self-assembled anchoring PEGylated diblock copolymers of PS-b-PEGMA on the microporous poly(vinylidene fluoride) (PVDF) membrane. Two types of copolymers are used to modify the PVDF surface, one with different PS/PEGMA molar ratios in a range from 0.3 to 2.7 but the same PS molecular weights (MWs, ∼5.7 kDa), the other with different copolymer MWs (∼11.4, 19.9, and 34.1 kDa) but the similar PS/PEGMA ratio (∼1.7 ± 0.2). It was found that the adsorption capacities of diblock copolymers on PVDF membranes decreased as molar mass ratios of PS/PEGMA ratio reduced or molecular weigh...