Combined Approach To Remove and Fast Detect Heavy Metals in Water Based on PES-TiO₂ Electrospun Mats and Porphyrin Chemosensors.

ABSTRACT: Hybrid poly(ether sulfones) (PES)-TiO₂ electrospun mats are used as selective filters to remove lead and zinc ions from water. Presence of TiO₂ is functional to trigger fiber's surface charge that allows for better performances in terms of ionic adsorption with respect to bare PES mats. Temperature increase promotes a speed up of ion removal. Ability of electrospun mats to retain adsorbed ions is proven by washing procedures, which confirm the lack of released Pb²⁺ in solution, even after sonication. To detect presence of metal ions in aqueous solutions, water-soluble porphyrins are used as chemosensors, which are able to provide fast, in-field, and real-time analysis. In particular, cationic H2T4 metalation, occurring both in solution or at transparent glass surface, allows for a straightforward spectrophotometric (UV-vis) detection of metal ions in solution.

SUBMITTER: Ognibene G 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6644496 | biostudies-literature | 2018 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature