@article{UnuabonahAgunbiadeAlfredetal.2017, author = {Unuabonah, Emmanuel Iyayi and Agunbiade, Foluso O. and Alfred, Moses O. and Adewumi, Thompson A. and Okoli, Chukwunonso P. and Omorogie, Martins O. and Akanbi, Moses O. and Ofomaja, Augustine E. and Taubert, Andreas}, title = {Facile synthesis of new amino-functionalized agrogenic hybrid composite clay adsorbents for phosphate capture and recovery from water}, series = {Journal of Cleaner Production}, volume = {164}, journal = {Journal of Cleaner Production}, publisher = {Elsevier}, address = {Oxford}, issn = {0959-6526}, doi = {10.1016/j.jclepro.2017.06.160}, pages = {652 -- 663}, year = {2017}, abstract = {New hybrid clay materials with good affinity for phosphate ions were developed from a combination of biomass-Carica papaya seeds (PS) and Musa paradisiaca (Plantain peels-PP), ZnCl2 and Kaolinite clay to produce iPS-HYCA and iPP-HYCA composite adsorbents respectively. Functionalization of these adsorbents with an organosilane produced NPS-HYCA and NPP-HYCA composite adsorbents. The pH(pzc) for the adsorbents were 7.83, 6.91, 7.66 and 6.55 for iPS-HYCA, NPS-HYCA, iPP-HYCA and NPP-HYCA respectively. Using the Brouer-Sotolongo isotherm model which best predict the adsorption capacity of composites for phosphate, iPP-HYCA, iPS-HYCA, NPP-HYCA, and NPS-HYCA composite adsorbents respectively. When compared with some commercial resins, the amino-functionalized adsorbents had better adsorption capacities. Furthermore, amino-functionalized adsorbents showed improved adsorption capacity and rate of phosphate uptake (as much as 40-fold), as well as retain 94\% (for NPS-HYCA) and 84.1\% (for NPP-HYCA) efficiency for phosphate adsorption after 5 adsorption-desorption cycles (96 h of adsorption time with 100 mg/L of phosphate ions) as against 37.5\% (for iPS-HYCA) and 35\% (for iPP-HYCA) under similar conditions. In 25 min desorption of phosphate ion attained equilibrium. These new amino-functionalized hybrid clay composite adsorbents, which were prepared by a simple means that is sustainable, have potentials for the efficient capture of phosphate ions from aqueous solution. They are quickly recovered from aqueous solution, non-biodegradable (unlike many biosorbent) with potentials to replace expensive adsorbents in the future. They have the further advantage of being useful in the recovery of phosphate for use in agriculture which could positively impact the global food security programme. (C) 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.}, language = {en} } @article{UgwujaAdelowoOgunlajaetal.2019, author = {Ugwuja, Chidinma G. and Adelowo, Olawale O. and Ogunlaja, Aemere and Omorogie, Martins O. and Olukanni, Olumide D. and Ikhimiukor, Odion O. and Iermak, Ievgeniia and Kolawole, Gabriel A. and G{\"u}nter, Christina and Taubert, Andreas and Bodede, Olusola and Moodley, Roshila and Inada, Natalia M. and Camargo, Andrea S.S. de and Unuabonah, Emmanuel Iyayi}, title = {Visible-Light-Mediated Photodynamic Water Disinfection @ Bimetallic-Doped Hybrid Clay Nanocomposites}, series = {ACS applied materials \& interfaces}, volume = {11}, journal = {ACS applied materials \& interfaces}, number = {28}, publisher = {American Chemical Society}, address = {Washington, DC}, issn = {1944-8244}, doi = {10.1021/acsami.9b01212}, pages = {25483 -- 25494}, year = {2019}, abstract = {This study reports a new class of photocatalytic hybrid clay nanocomposites prepared from low-cost sources (kaolinite clay and Carica papaya seeds) doped with Zn and Cu salts via a solvothermal process. X-ray diffraction analysis suggests that Cu-doping and Cu/Zn-doping introduce new phases into the crystalline structure of Kaolinite clay, which is linked to the reduced band gap of kaolinite from typically between 4.9 and 8.2 eV to 2.69 eV for Cu-doped and 1.5 eV for Cu/Zn hybrid clay nanocomposites (Nisar, J.; Arhammar, C.; Jamstorp, E.; Ahuja, R. Phys. Rev. B 2011, 84, 075120). In the presence of solar light irradiation, Cu- and Cu/Zn-doped nanocomposites facilitate the electron hole pair separation. This promotes the generation of singlet oxygen which in turn improves the water disinfection efficiencies of these novel nanocomposite materials. The nanocomposite materials were further characterized using high-resolution scanning electron microscopy, fluorimetry, therrnogravimetric analysis, and Raman spectroscopy. The breakthrough times of the nanocomposites for a fixed bed mode of disinfection of water contaminated with 2.32 x 10(7) cfu/mL E. coli ATCC 25922 under solar light irradiation are 25 h for Zn-doped, 30 h for Cu-doped, and 35 h for Cu/Zn-doped nanocomposites. In the presence of multidrug and multimetal resistant strains of E. coli, the breakthrough time decreases significantly. Zn-only doped nanocomposites are not photocatalytically active. In the absence of light, the nanocomposites are still effective in decontaminating water, although less efficient than under solar light irradiation. Electrostatic interaction, metal toxicity, and release of singlet oxygen (only in the Cu-doped and Cu/Zn-doped nanocomposites) are the three disinfection mechanisms by which these nanocomposites disinfect water. A regrowth study indicates the absence of any living E. coli cells in treated water even after 4 days. These data and the long hydraulic times (under gravity) exhibited by these nanocomposites during photodisinfection of water indicate an unusually high potential of these nanocomposites as efficient, affordable, and sustainable point-of-use systems for the disinfection of water in developing countries.}, language = {en} } @article{OfomajaUnuabonah2013, author = {Ofomaja, Augustine Enakpodia and Unuabonah, Emmanuel Iyayi}, title = {Kinetics and time-dependent Langmuir modeling of 4-nitrophenol adsorption onto Mansonia sawdust}, series = {Journal of the Taiwan Institute of Chemical Engineers}, volume = {44}, journal = {Journal of the Taiwan Institute of Chemical Engineers}, number = {4}, publisher = {Elsevier}, address = {Amsterdam}, issn = {1876-1070}, doi = {10.1016/j.jtice.2012.12.021}, pages = {566 -- 576}, year = {2013}, abstract = {Often time's adsorption of large molecules onto untreated lignocellulosic materials is viewed as a two stage process and has frequently been characterized only by kinetic models while the rate limiting step of adsorption is determined only at various stages of the adsorption process. In this study the kinetics and the contribution of diffusion processes to 4-nitrophenol adsorption onto untreated sawdust was examined and the overall rate limiting step evaluated. The adsorption profile showed an initial rapid uptake of 4-nitrophenol which decreased and became almost constant after 5 min of contact. Analysis of the adsorption profile with the intraparticle diffusion equation and fractional 4-nitrophenol uptake with time showed that the profile can be divided into three different stages. The rate determining step of 4-nitrophenol adsorption was then evaluated based on the activation energies of each processes along with their activation parameters (Delta G*, Delta H* and Delta S*). The results revealed that external mass transfer was the overall rate limiting step with activation parameters E-a = 21.11, Delta H* = 23.75 and Delta S* = 144.97. Time dependent Langmuir modeling was carried out to optimize process parameters. (c) 2013 Taiwan Institute of Chemical Engineers. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.}, language = {en} }