Facile Preparation of Fluoroalkyl End-Capped Vinyltrimethoxysilane Oligomer/Sand Composites Possessing Superoleophilic/Superhydrophobic Characteristic: Application to Oil/Water Separation and Selective Removal of Fluorinated Aromatic Compounds from Aqueous Methanol Solution

Fluoroalkyl end-capped vinyltrimethoxysilane oligomer [RF-(CH2-CHSi(OMe)3)n-RF: n = 2, 3, RF = CF(CF3)OC3F7: RF-(VM)n-RF], was applied to the facile preparation of the corresponding oligomer/sand (Ottawa sand: OS) composites [RF-(VM-SiO3/2)n-RF/OS] through the sol-gel reaction of the oligomer in the presence of micro-sized OS particles (590 - 840 μm) under alkaline conditions at room temperature. FE-SEM (Field Emission Scanning Electron Micrograph) images showed that the obtained composites consist of the RF-(VM-SiO3/2)n-RF oligomeric nanoparticles and the micro-sized OS particles. Interestingly, the RF-(VM-SiO3/2)n-RF/OS composites thus obtained can provide the superoleophilic/superhydrophobic characteristic on the composite surface, applying to the separation of not only the mixture of oil/water but also the W/O emulsion to isolate the transparent colorless oil. The fluorinated oligomeric OS composites were also found to be applicable to the selective removal of fluorinated aromatic compounds from an aqueous methanol solution. Especially, it was demonstrated that the fluorinated OS composites can supply a higher efficient and smooth separation ability for the separation of the mixture of oil and water than that of the corresponding fluorinated micro-sized controlled silica gel (μ-SiO2) composites (average particle size: 9.5 μm), which were prepared under similar conditions. In addition to the separation of oil/water, the fluorinated OS composites provided higher and more selective removal ability for the fluorinated aromatic compounds from aqueous solutions than that of the μ-SiO2 composites.

Electrocoagulation coupled with electrooxidation for the simultaneous treatment of multiple pollutants in contaminated sediments

In situ and simultaneous remediation of a variety of pollutants in sediments remains a challenge.In this study,we report that the combination of electrocoagulation(EC)and electrooxidation(EO)is efficient in the immobilization of phosphorus and heavymetals and in the oxidation of ammonium and toxic organicmatter.The integratedmixed metal oxide(MMO)/Fe anode system allowed the facile removal of ammonium and phosphorus in the overlying water(99% of 10 mg/L NH_(4)^(+)-N and 95% of 10 mg/L P disappeared in 15 and 30 min,respectively).Compared with the controls of the single Fe anode and single MMO anode systems,the dual MMO/Fe anode system significantly improved the removal of phenanthrene and promoted the transition of Pb and Cu from the mobile species to the immobile species.The concentrations of Pb and Cu in the toxicity characteristic leaching procedure extracts were reduced by 99%and 97% after an 8 hr operation.Further tests with four real polluted samples indicated that substantial proportions of acid-soluble fraction Pb and Cu were reduced(30%-31% for Pb and 16%–23% for Cu),and the amounts of total organic carbon and NH_(4)^(+)-N decreased by 56%–71% and 32%–63%,respectively.It was proposed that the in situ electrogenerated Fe(II)at the Fe anode and the active oxygen/chlorine species at the MMO anode are conducive to outstanding performance in the co-treatment of multiple pollutants.The results suggest that the EC/EO method is a powerful technology for the in situ remediation of sediments contaminated with different pollutants.

Desulfurization using the 1,2-dimethylimidazolium ionic liquid as an adsorbent

The aim of this study is to investigate the possible use of a 1,2-dimethylimidazolium ionic liquid,2,2-bis（（1,2-dimethylimidazolium）methyl）propane-1,3-diol hexafluorophosphate（1）,as an adsorbent to selectively remove aromatic heterocyclic sulfur compounds from model fuels.The result indicates that adsorbent 1 is insoluble in model fuels.The spent IL saturated sulfur compounds could be regenerated by a water dilution process.The influence of extraction time or temperature as well as the molar ratio of 1 to aromatic heterocyclic sulfur compound was also studied.