Atrazine removal from water by treated banana peels was studied. The effect of pH, contact time, initial atrazine concentration, and temperature were investigated. Batch experiments demonstrated that 15 g L(-1) adsorbent dosage removed 90-99% of atrazine from 1-150 ppm aqueous solutions. The removal was both pH and temperature dependent with the most atrazine removed between pH 7 and 8.2 and increased with increasing temperature. Equilibrium data fitted well to the Langmuir and Redlich-Peterson models in the concentration and temperature ranges investigated, with a maximum adsorption capacity of 14 mg g(-1). Simple mass transfer models were applied to the experimental data to examine the adsorption mechanism and it was found that both external mass transfer and intraparticle diffusion played important roles in the adsorption mechanisms. The enthalpy of atrazine adsorption was evaluated to be 67.8 ± 6.3 kJ mol(-l) with a Gibbs free energy of -5.7 ± 1.2 kJ mol(-1).

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The Zn(2+) and Ni(2+) adsorption capacities of six biosorbents derived from water hyacinth (Eichhornia crassipes) (WH) and sawdust (SD) were investigated, with activated carbon as the control. The biosorbents were raw biomass (WH, SD), charred WH (BWH) and SD and sulphonated bio-chars of WH and SD. The effect of the initial solution pH and Zn(2+) and Ni(2+) concentrations on adsorption capacity was studied, and adsorption isotherms for Zn(2+) and Ni(2+) evaluated. The initial solution pH significantly influenced adsorption (p < 0.05) but the relationship was generally nonlinear. Zn(2+) suppressed Ni(2+) adsorption on all biosorbents. The adsorption capacities of the biosorbents were statistically (p ≤ 0.05) similar to or higher than that of activated carbon. The effects of pyrolysis and bio-char sulphonation on adsorption were inconsistent and dependent on biomass type; in most cases bio-char was a better biosorbent than the original biomass, while sulphonation resulted in less or comparable adsorption. Adsorption data obeyed at least one of three isotherms (linear, Langmuir and Freundlich) (r(2) = 0.90-0.995, p < 0.05). The study revealed that low-cost biosorbents may be used as alternatives to activated carbon in applications including selective separation of Zn(2+) from multi-metal ion solutions containing Ni(2+), and water and wastewater treatment.

Thick film resistive Cl(2) sensors were fabricated using SnO(2) doped with Sb. The nanocrystalline powders of Sb-doped SnO(2) synthesized by a sol-gel method were compressed into an 800 µm thick pellet. The fabricated sensors were tested against gases like Cl(2), Br(2), HCl, NO, NO(2), CHCl(3), NH(3) and H(2). The highest response to Cl(2) was achieved in 0.1% Sb doping where an exposure to 3 ppm of Cl(2) gas led to a 500-fold increase in device resistance. The high sensitivity to Cl(2) is accompanied by minor interference due to other gases at room temperature. It was found that the SnO(2) doped with 0.1% Sb exhibited high response, selectivity (>100 in comparison to the gases described above) and short response time (∼60 s) to Cl(2) at 3 ppm level at room temperature.

This paper examines electrical transport properties and Li doping in SnO(2) synthesized by the sol-gel method. Solid-state (7)Li-NMR lineshapes reveal that Li ions occupy two distinct sites with differing dynamic mobilities. The chemical exchange rate between the two sites is, however, too slow for detection on the NMR timescale. Compressed nanoparticulate films of this doped semiconductor exhibit a positive Seebeck coefficient implying a p-type conductivity. A variable-temperature direct current conductivity, over a 25-350 degrees C temperature range, follows an Efros-Shklovskii variable range hopping (ES-VRH) conduction mechanism (ln(rho) versus T(-1/2)) at temperatures below 100 degrees C with a crossover to 2D Mott variable range hopping (M-VRH) (ln(rho) versus T(-1/3)) conduction at temperatures above 250 degrees C. In a transition region between these two limiting behaviors, the dc resistivity exhibits an anomalous temperature-independent plateau. We suggest that its origin may lie in a carrier inversion phenomenon wherein the majority carriers switch from holes to electrons due to Li ion expulsion from the crystalline core and creation of oxygen vacancies generated by loss of oxygen at elevated temperatures.