Novel ester-functionalized polypyrrole−silica nanocomposite particles were prepared by oxidative copolymerization of pyrrole and N-succinimidyl ester pyrrole (50/50% initial concentrations), using FeCl3 in the presence of ultrafine silica nanoparticles (20 nm diameter). The N-succinimidyl ester pyrrole monomer was prepared in aqueous solution using 1-(2-carboxyethylpyrrole) and N-hydroxysuccinimide in the presence of 1-ethyl-3-(3-dimethylaminopropyl) carbodiimide. The resulting nanocomposites (N-succinimidyl ester polypyrrole−silica) are raspberry-shaped agglomerates of silica sol particles “glued” together by the insoluble poly(pyrrole-co-N-succinimidyl pyrrole). The N-succinimidyl ester polypyrrole−silica particles were characterized in terms of their size, density, copolymer content, and polydispersity. Scanning electron microscopy and disk centrifuge sedimentometry confirmed that the nanocomposite particles had narrow size distributions. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy analysis indicated a silica-rich surface and a high surface concentration of N-succinimidyl ester groups. These nanoparticles exhibited good long-term dispersion stability. The chemical stability of the ester functions in aqueous media after several weeks of storage was monitored by FTIR spectroscopy. The functionalized nanocomposites were tested as bioadsorbents of human serum albumin (HSA). The very high amount of immobilized HSA determined by UV−visible spectroscopy is believed to be due to covalent binding. Incubation of the HSA-grafted nanocomposite with anti-HSA resulted in immediate flocculation, an indication that they are alternative candidates for visual diagnostic assays.

Odours are a major nuisance near industrial sites such as waste water treatment plants. To be able to forecast and to follow in realtime the dispersion of smells around the plant would be a major improvement with respect to neighbours relation as well as the site management and planning. In such a context, the SIAAP, which deals with waste water for the entire region of Paris, France, has developed and implemented on their sites of Seine aval, Marne aval and Seine amont an innovative tool called SYPROS. SYPROS is based on the 3D CFD dispersion tool Fluidyn-PANEIA using a Lagrangian puff model for the real-time procedure and a source definition module to determine the source emission rates in real-time (i.e. with a 30 minute delay in continuous mode). To this end the concept of real-time adjustment of the source emission, the so-called remapping process, has been implemented. A case study of the implementation of the comprehensive tool SYPROS on the Seine aval site is described.