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Advanced Techniques in the Separation Processes and Development of Novel...
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Advanced Techniques in the Separation Processes and Development of Novel Adsorbents

A special issue of Separations (ISSN 2297-8739). This special issue belongs to the section "Materials in Separation Science".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (20 June 2023) | Viewed by 9932

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Nadavala Siva Kumar

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Chemical Engineering, King Saud University, Riyadh 11421, Saudi Arabia
Interests: wastewater treatment; organic pollutants; and heavy metals; environmental analytical chemistry; bio-adsorbents; adsorption
Prof. Dr. Mohammad Asif

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Chemical Engineering, King Saud University, Riyadh 11421, Saudi Arabia
Interests: particle technology; adsorption; waste utilization for environmental remediation

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The environmental pollution caused by a wide variety of organic and inorganic compounds is a matter of great concern due to their toxic persistence, carcinogenicity, non-biodegradability, and detrimental effect on aquatic ecosystems. These compounds commonly occur in the effluents of chemical and petrochemical plants, coal conversion processes, and municipal waste treatment plants. Developing cost-effective and novel separation techniques for the treatment of wastewater contaminated by such toxins is of paramount importance for environmentalists. This SI is devoted to advanced separation techniques and the development of novel adsorbents derived from agro-wastes, carbonaceous materials, and polymer composites for the cost-effective treatment of wastewater.

We encourage authors to present their latest research on advanced separation techniques and the synthesis, characterization, and properties of novel materials and their applications in a sustainable environmental system. Original, multi-disciplinary research and review articles from chemistry, chemical engineering and processing, and material science are also highly encouraged.

Dr. Nadavala Siva Kumar
Prof. Dr. Mohammad Asif
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Separations is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • agro-waste biomass materials
  • remediation of organic/inorganic pollutants
  • polymer hybrid nanocomposites
  • nano-adsorbent materials
  • carbon/biochar material
  • modeling studies
  • photocatalytic degradation
  • separation techniques
  • biotechnology
  • adsorption/biosorption

Published Papers (7 papers)

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Research

15 pages, 4452 KiB  
Article
Adsorptive Removal of Emulsified Automobile Fuel from Aqueous Solution
by Mohammad Asif, Mourad M. Boumaza, Nadavala Siva Kumar, Ebrahim H. Al-Ghurabi and Mohammed Shahabuddin
Separations 2023, 10(9), 493; https://doi.org/10.3390/separations10090493 - 11 Sep 2023
Viewed by 742
Abstract
The development of cost-effective technologies for the treatment of water contaminated by petrochemicals is an environmental priority. This issue is of paramount importance for countries like Saudi Arabia owing to its scarce water resources. Of particular concern are automobile fuels, such as gasoline [...] Read more.
The development of cost-effective technologies for the treatment of water contaminated by petrochemicals is an environmental priority. This issue is of paramount importance for countries like Saudi Arabia owing to its scarce water resources. Of particular concern are automobile fuels, such as gasoline and diesel, that can contaminate water aquifers from leaking underground fuel storage tanks. Owing to the cost-effectiveness of adsorption-based technologies, low-cost high surface-area commercial activated carbon was used for the adsorptive removal of contaminants from the emulsified fuel-contaminated water. Batch equilibrium experiments showed a high efficacy of the adsorbent. Even with small amounts of the adsorbent, a removal efficiency of more than 97% was obtained for both gasoline as well as diesel. Three different well-known batch adsorption isotherm models, namely the Langmuir, Freundlich, and Temkin, were used for describing the experimental data. The best results were obtained using the Freundlich isotherm followed by the Langmuir model. The maximum capacity was found to be 8.3 g gasoline and 9.3 g diesel per gram of the adsorbent at ambient conditions for a neutral contaminated aqueous solution. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advanced Techniques in the Separation Processes and Development of Novel Adsorbents)
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17 pages, 4969 KiB  
Article
Molecularly Imprinted Polymer-Based Nanoporous Carbon Nanocomposite for Effective Adsorption of Hg(II) Ions from Aqueous Suspensions
by Lawal Abubakar, Nor Azah Yusof, Abdul Halim Abdullah, Faruq Mohammad, Mohd Hanif Wahid, Suhainie Ismail, Zulaiha Abdul Rahim, Hamad A. Al-Lohedan and Ahmed A. Soleiman
Separations 2023, 10(8), 454; https://doi.org/10.3390/separations10080454 - 17 Aug 2023
Viewed by 876
Abstract
Due to the release of hazardous heavy metals from various industries, water pollution has become one of the biggest challenges for environmental scientists today. Mercury Hg(II) is regarded as one of the most toxic heavy metals due to its ability to cause cancer [...] Read more.
Due to the release of hazardous heavy metals from various industries, water pollution has become one of the biggest challenges for environmental scientists today. Mercury Hg(II) is regarded as one of the most toxic heavy metals due to its ability to cause cancer and other health issues. In this study, a tailor-made modern eco-friendly molecularly imprinted polymer (MIP)/nanoporous carbon (NC) nanocomposite was synthesized and examined for the uptake of Hg(II) using an aqueous solution. The fabrication of the MIP/NC nanocomposite occurred via bulk polymerization involving the complexation of the template, followed by polymerization and, finally, template removal. Thus, the formed nanocomposite underwent characterizations that included morphological, thermal degradation, functional, and surface area analyses. The MIP/NC nanocomposite, with a high specific surface area of 884.9 m2/g, was evaluated for its efficacy towards the adsorptive elimination of Hg(II) against the pH solution changes, the dosage of adsorbent, initial concentration, and interaction time. The analysis showed that a maximum Hg(II) adsorption effectiveness of 116 mg/g was attained at pH 4, while the Freundlich model fitted the equilibrium sorption result and was aligned with pseudo-second-order kinetics. Likewise, thermodynamic parameters like enthalpy, entropy, and Gibbs free energy indicated that the adsorption was consistent with spontaneous, favorable, and endothermic reactions. Furthermore, the adsorption efficiency of MIP/NC was also evaluated against a real sample of condensate from the oil and gas industry, showing an 87.4% recovery of Hg(II). Finally, the synthesized MIP/NC showed promise as a selective adsorbent of Hg(II) in polluted environments, suggesting that a variety of combined absorbents of different precursors is recommended to evaluate heavy metal and pharmaceutical removals. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advanced Techniques in the Separation Processes and Development of Novel Adsorbents)
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13 pages, 2075 KiB  
Article
Screening and Experimental Validation for Selection of Open Metal Sites Metal-Organic Framework (M-CPO-27, M = Co, Mg, Ni and Zn) to Capture CO2
by Nor Ernie Fatriyah Kari, Marhaina Ismail, Aqeel Ahmad, Khaliesah Kamal, Thiam Leng Chew and Mohamad Azmi Bustam
Separations 2023, 10(8), 434; https://doi.org/10.3390/separations10080434 - 01 Aug 2023
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1010
Abstract
The release of CO2 into the atmosphere has become a primary issue nowadays. Recently, researchers found Metal-Organic Frameworks M-CPO-27 (M = Mg, Co, Ni, and Zn) to be revolutionary for CO2 adsorption due to the presence of open metal sites enhancing [...] Read more.
The release of CO2 into the atmosphere has become a primary issue nowadays. Recently, researchers found Metal-Organic Frameworks M-CPO-27 (M = Mg, Co, Ni, and Zn) to be revolutionary for CO2 adsorption due to the presence of open metal sites enhancing CO2 binding and leading to higher capacity. This study aims to select the best metal center for CPO-27 with the high performance of CO2 adsorption by screening metal centers using simulation as a preliminary selection method. Then, the different metal centers were synthesized using the solvothermal process for validation. The synthesis of MOFs is confirmed through PXRD and FTIR analysis. Subsequently, by using simulation and experimental methods, it is discovered that Ni-CPO-27 gives the best performance compared with magnesium, zinc, and cobalt metal centers. The CO2 adsorption capacity of synthesized Ni-CPO-27 is 5.6 mmol/g, which is almost 20% higher than other MOFs. In conclusion, the prospective outcome of changing the metal from Mg-CPO-27 to Ni-CPO-27 would be advantageous in this investigation owing to its excellent performance in capturing CO2. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advanced Techniques in the Separation Processes and Development of Novel Adsorbents)
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16 pages, 3424 KiB  
Article
Enhanced Oil Spill Remediation Using Environmentally Asymmetric Dicationic Ionic Liquids: Synthesis, Characterization, and Evaluation
by Rima D. Alharthy, C. E. El Shafiee, M. I. Nessim, R. I. Abdallah, Y. M. Moustafa, M. Wafeek, D. A. Ismail, M. M. H. Khalil and R. A. El-Nagar
Separations 2023, 10(7), 397; https://doi.org/10.3390/separations10070397 - 10 Jul 2023
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 922
Abstract
The disastrous consequences for society—economically, environmentally, and socially—caused by oil spills encouraged us to treat this problem. The target of this work is to synthesize new amphiphilic dicationic ionic liquids (Ia, Ib, and Ic) and evaluate them spectroscopically and gravimetrically as potential oil [...] Read more.
The disastrous consequences for society—economically, environmentally, and socially—caused by oil spills encouraged us to treat this problem. The target of this work is to synthesize new amphiphilic dicationic ionic liquids (Ia, Ib, and Ic) and evaluate them spectroscopically and gravimetrically as potential oil spill dispersants at different temperatures to cover cold and warm areas. The synthesized ILs were well characterized by different tools for analysis of their surface activity and thermal stability. Ia, Ib, and Ic showed good dispersion effects, which were recorded to be 5.32, 20.45, and 33.61% for Ia, Ib, and Ic, respectively, at 10 °C and 12.28, 52.55, and 66.80% for Ia, Ib, and Ic, respectively, at 30 °C with a dispersant-to-oil ratio (DOR) of 0.8:10 (wt.%). Acute toxicity tests were elucidated against Nile tilapia and Oreochromis niloticus fish and confirmed their slight toxicity by determining a LC50 value greater than 100 ppm after 96 h, which recorded 13.25, 17.75, and 37.5 mg/L for Ia, Ib, and Ic, respectively. Overall, the new synthesized ILs can be represented as sustainable materials for toxic chemicals to disperse oil spills. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advanced Techniques in the Separation Processes and Development of Novel Adsorbents)
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17 pages, 3415 KiB  
Article
Biomass-Based Silica/Calcium Carbonate Nanocomposites for the Adsorptive Removal of Escherichia coli from Aqueous Suspensions
by Ibrahim Birma Bwatanglang, Samuel T. Magili, Faruq Mohammad, Hamad A. Al-Lohedan and Ahmed A. Soleiman
Separations 2023, 10(3), 212; https://doi.org/10.3390/separations10030212 - 18 Mar 2023
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1340
Abstract
The present study deals with the adsorptive removal of Escherichia coli (E. coli) by making use of chitosan-silica/calcium carbonate (CS-SiO2/CaCO3) nanocomposites (NCs) where it was synthesized using the waste eggshells and rice husks occurred by natural sources. [...] Read more.
The present study deals with the adsorptive removal of Escherichia coli (E. coli) by making use of chitosan-silica/calcium carbonate (CS-SiO2/CaCO3) nanocomposites (NCs) where it was synthesized using the waste eggshells and rice husks occurred by natural sources. The bioadsorbent CS-SiO2/CaCO3 NCs were synthesized by incorporating eggshell-CaCO3 nanoparticles (NPs) and rice husk-SiO2 NPs in chitosan NPs solution. The adsorbents were characterized using HRTEM, BET, DLS, and TGA. The characterization of NCs revealed the formation of adsorbents in the range of 10–50 nm and some structural changes to the spectra of adsorbents before and after the adsorption of E. coli was revealed by the FTIR analysis. Moreover, the adsorption efficiency of E. coli over the adsorbents after 35 min of incubation was about 80% for CS-SiO2/CaCO3 NCs. Further, the kinetics of adsorption studies were observed to be well-fitted to the Langmuir isotherm model with an adsorption capacity of 3.18 × 101 (CFU E. coil per gram of CS-SiO2/CaCO3). From the analysis, the synthesized bioadsorbent demonstrated the potential for ameliorating the inherent risk of pathogens in water. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advanced Techniques in the Separation Processes and Development of Novel Adsorbents)
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15 pages, 6144 KiB  
Article
Structural, Optical, and Renewable Energy-Assisted Photocatalytic Dye Degradation Studies of ZnO, CuZnO, and CoZnO Nanostructures for Wastewater Treatment
by Awais Khalid, Pervaiz Ahmad, Roomia Memon, Lamyaa F. Gado, Mayeen Uddin Khandaker, Hanadi A. Almukhlifi, Yosra Modafer, Najma Bashir, Otman Abida, Fahdah Ayed Alshammari and Abdelmajid Timoumi
Separations 2023, 10(3), 184; https://doi.org/10.3390/separations10030184 - 08 Mar 2023
Cited by 11 | Viewed by 1838
Abstract
Renewable energy can be harnessed from wastewater, whether from municipalities or industries, but this potential is often ignored. The world generates over 900 km3 of wastewater annually, which is typically treated through energy-consuming processes, despite its potential for energy production. Environmental pollution [...] Read more.
Renewable energy can be harnessed from wastewater, whether from municipalities or industries, but this potential is often ignored. The world generates over 900 km3 of wastewater annually, which is typically treated through energy-consuming processes, despite its potential for energy production. Environmental pollution is a most important and serious issue for all and their adulterations to the aquatic system are very toxic in very low concentrations. Photocatalysis is a prominent approach to eliminating risky elements from the environment. The present study developed Zinc oxide (ZnO), Copper-doped Zinc oxide (CuZnO), and Cobalt-doped Zinc oxide (CoZnO) nanostructures (NSs) by facile hydrothermal route. The crystalline and structural stability of the synthesized nanostructures were evident from XRD and FESEM analysis. Metal, and oxygen bond and their interaction on the surfaces and their valency were explored from XPS spectra. Optical orientations and electron movements were revealed from UV-Visible analysis. After 100 min exposure time with 1 g of catalyst concentration 60%, 70%, and 89% of dye degraded, for dye concentration (5 mg/L to 50 mg/L), the huge variation observed (70% to 22%), (80% to 16%), (94% to 10%). The highest photodegradation rate (55%, 75%, 90%) was observed on pH~12 using ZnO, CoZnO, and CuZnO respectively. Photodegradation of methylene blue confirmed the largest surface area, rate of recombination, photo-excited charge carriers, photo-sensitivity range, and radical generations of ZnO, CuZnO, and CoZnO. The present study, therefore, suggested that CuZnO would be preferred to produce nanomaterials for industrial wastewater treatment like methylene. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advanced Techniques in the Separation Processes and Development of Novel Adsorbents)
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15 pages, 1217 KiB  
Article
Durian Waste Husks as an Adsorbent in Improving Soaking Water during the Retting Process of Piper nigrum L. (Pepper Berries)
by Muhammad Hazwan Hamzah, Ainaa Syaheera Amran, Adila Fazliyana Aili Hamzah, Mohd Zuhair Mohd Nor, Rosnah Shamsudin, Hasfalina Che Man and Wan Aizuddin Wan Razali
Separations 2023, 10(2), 96; https://doi.org/10.3390/separations10020096 - 01 Feb 2023
Viewed by 2343
Abstract
The potential of raw durian husk and NaOH-modified durian husk as an adsorbent, using different doses, 0.5 g, 1.0 g, 1.5 g, and 2.0 g, is investigated to improve soaking water of pepper berries during the retting process. The surface area and the [...] Read more.
The potential of raw durian husk and NaOH-modified durian husk as an adsorbent, using different doses, 0.5 g, 1.0 g, 1.5 g, and 2.0 g, is investigated to improve soaking water of pepper berries during the retting process. The surface area and the pore size of the durian husk were examined using Brunner Emmett and Teller analysis. The surface area of NaOH-modified durian husk is higher (2.33 m2/g) compared to the raw durian husk (1.51 m2/g). NaOH-modified durian husk has a higher porous structure than the raw durian husk, but both pore diameters are more than 50 nm, which is considered micropore raw material. The effect of the raw durian husk on pH, chemical oxygen demand (COD), dissolved oxygen (DO), and turbidity were compared to the NaOH-modified durian husk with different doses. The 2.0 g of NaOH-modified durian husk enhanced changes in the four parameters. The highest pH value using NaOH-modified durian husk was 6.10 ± 0.02, while turbidity and COD increased to 971.33 ± 1.15 NTU and 1984.67 ± 3.21 mg/L, respectively. The DO of NaOH-modified durian husk shows the lowest reduction to 1.49 mg/L with 2.0 g of NaOH-modified durian husk. The experimental data was best fitted with a first-order kinetic model. Durian husk treated with NaOH could be used as a potential adsorbent to enhance the soaking water for pepper berries. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advanced Techniques in the Separation Processes and Development of Novel Adsorbents)
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