In the present paper, the synthesis of metal-organic framework MIL-101 and its application in the photocatalytic degradation of Remazol Black B (RBB) dye have been demonstrated. The obtained samples were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscope (TEM), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and nitrogen adsorption/desorption isotherms at 77 K. It was found that MIL-101 synthesized under optimal conditions exhibited high crystallinity and specific surface area (3360 m2·g-1). The obtained MIL-101 possessed high stability in water for 14 days and several solvents (benzene, ethanol, and water at boiling temperature). Its catalytic activities were evaluated by measuring the degradation of RBB in an aqueous solution under UV radiation. The findings show that MIL-101 was a heterogeneous photocatalyst in the degradation reaction of RBB. The mechanism of photocatalysis was considered to be achieved by the electron transfer from photoexcited organic ligands to metallic clusters in MIL-101. The kinetics of photocatalytic degradation reaction were analyzed by using the initial rate method and Langmuir-Hinshelwood model. The MIL-101 photocatalyst exhibited excellent catalytic recyclability and stability and can be a potential catalyst for the treatment of organic pollutants in aqueous solutions.

In the present paper, graphene oxide was directly electrodeposited by means of cyclic voltammetric techniques on the glassy-carbon electrode (GCE) to obtain a reduced graphene-oxide-modified electrode (ErGO/GCE). Cyclic voltammetry (CV) and differential pulse anodic stripping voltammetry (DP-ASV) had been utilized to study the electrochemical behavior of ErGO/GCE toward ascorbic acid (AA), paracetamol (PA), and caffeine (CA). Differential pulse voltammetry results show that AA, PA, and CA could be detected selectively and sensitively on ErGO/GCE with peak-to-peak separation of 312 mV and 756 mV for AA–PA and PA–CA, respectively. The factors affecting the voltammetric signals such as pH, scan rate, and interferents were addressed. The results reveal that the ErGO/GCE-modified electrode exhibits excellent electrochemical activity in the oxidation of PA, CA, and AA. The detection limits are 0.36 μM, 0.25 μM, and 0.23 μM for AA, PA and CA, respectively, suggesting that the ErGO/GCE can be utilized with high sensitivity and selectivity for the simultaneous determination of these compounds. Finally, the proposed method was successfully used to determine AA, PA, and CA in pharmaceutical preparations.

In the present article, the synthesis of zeolite imidazole framework-11 (ZIF-11) by ultrasonic-assisted hydrothermal process and its application as an electrode modifier for electrochemical determination of uric acid in urine are demonstrated. The obtained materials were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and nitrogen adsorption/desorption isotherms. It was found that the ZIF-11 with rhombic dodecahedron topology and high surface area (1066 m2.g-1) was synthesized in a certain temperature and found in around 25–40°C, and other crystalline phases of zinc benzimidazolate deferring from ZIF-11 phase were found in less 25°C or higher than 40°C. The ZIF-11 is stable in the pH range 6-10. The modification of glassy carbon electrode was performed with ZIF-67 using the drop-casting procedure. The present ZIF-11 modified electrode was employed to study the electrochemical behavior of uric acid (UA). UA oxidation is catalyzed by this electrode in aqueous buffer solution (pH 7) with a decrease of 70 mV in overpotential compared to glassy carbon electrode. With the differential pulse–anodic stripping voltammetry (DP-ASV) method, the oxidation current of UA versus its concentration shows good linearity in the range 20–540μM ( R = 0.998 ) with a detection limit of 0.48 μM ( S / N = 3 ). The obtained ZIF-11 modified electrode was applied in the detection of UA content in urine samples, and satisfied results were obtained.

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The present study describes the growth of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) from liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) on an Fe2O3/Al2O3 precatalyst via a chemical vapour deposition (CVD) process without hydrogen. The obtained multiwalled CNTs exhibit a less-defective structure with an identical external diameter of tubes of around 50 nm. The growth mechanism of CNTs suggests that the Fe2O3/Al2O3 precatalyst is reduced to Fe/Al2O3 during the synthesis process using the products of LPG decomposition, and the tip-growth mechanism is suggested. The resulting CNTs are surface-modified with potassium permanganate in the acid medium and used as an adsorbent for copper from aqueous solutions. The Langmuir and Freundlich isotherm models are employed to evaluate the adsorption data, and the maximum adsorption capacity of Cu(II) is 163.7 mg·g−1.