Displaying publications 1 - 20 of 48 in total

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  1. Fulltext Recent Biomedical Applications of Coupling Nanocomposite Polymeric Materials Reinforced with Variable Carbon Nanofillers
    Alosaimi AM, Alorabi RO, Katowah DF, Al-Thagafi ZT, Alsolami ES, Hussein MA, et al.
    Biomedicines, 2023 Mar 21;11(3).
    PMID: 36979948 DOI: 10.3390/biomedicines11030967
    The hybridization between polymers and carbon materials is one of the most recent and crucial study areas which abstracted more concern from scientists in the past few years. Polymers could be classified into two classes according to the source materials synthetic and natural. Synthetic polymeric materials have been applied over a floppy zone of industrial fields including the field of biomedicine. Carbon nanomaterials including (fullerene, carbon nanotubes, and graphene) classified as one of the most significant sources of hybrid materials. Nanocarbons are improving significantly mechanical properties of polymers in nanocomposites in addition to physical and chemical properties of the new materials. In all varieties of proposed bio-nanocomposites, a considerable improvement in the microbiological performance of the materials has been explored. Various polymeric materials and carbon-course nanofillers were present, along with antibacterial, antifungal, and anticancer products. This review spots the light on the types of synthetic polymers-based carbon materials and presented state-of-art examples on their application in the area of biomedicine.
  2. Isolation and characterization of arsenic resistant bacteria from wastewater
    Abbas SZ, Riaz M, Ramzan N, Zahid MT, Shakoori FR, Rafatullah M
    Braz J Microbiol, 2014;45(4):1309-15.
    PMID: 25763035
    The present study proposed the isolation of arsenic resistant bacteria from wastewater. Only three bacterial isolates (MNZ1, MNZ4 and MNZ6) were able to grow in high concentrations of arsenic. The minimum inhibitory concentrations of arsenic against MNZ1, MNZ4 and MNZ6 were 300 mg/L, 300 mg/L and 370 mg/L respectively. The isolated strains showed maximum growth at 37 °C and at 7.0 pH in control but in arsenite stress Luria Bertani broth the bacterial growth is lower than control. All strains were arsenite oxidizing. All strains were biochemically characterized and ribotyping (16S rRNA) was done for the purpose of identification which confirmed that MNZ1 was homologous to Enterobacter sp. while MNZ4 and MNZ6 showed their maximum homology with Klebsiella pneumoniae. The protein profiling of these strains showed in arsenic stressed and non stressed conditions, so no bands of induced proteins appeared in stressed conditions. The bacterial isolates can be exploited for bioremediation of arsenic containing wastes, since they seem to have the potential to oxidize the arsenite (more toxic) into arsenate (less toxic) form.
  3. Chitosan hydrogel beads impregnated with hexadecylamine for improved reactive blue 4 adsorption
    Vakili M, Rafatullah M, Ibrahim MH, Abdullah AZ, Salamatinia B, Gholami Z
    Carbohydr Polym, 2016 Feb 10;137:139-146.
    PMID: 26686114 DOI: 10.1016/j.carbpol.2015.09.017
    Adsorption performance of chitosan (CS) hydrogel beads was investigated after impregnation of CS with hexadecylamine (HDA) as a cationic surfactant, for the elimination of reactive blue 4 (RB4) from wastewater. The CS/HDA beads formed with 3.8% HDA were the most effective adsorbent. The adsorption capacity was increased by 1.43 times from 317 mg/g (CS) to 454 mg/g (CS/HDA). The RB4 removal increased with decrease in the pH of dye solution from 4 to 9. The isotherm data obtained from RB4 adsorption on CS and CS/HDA are adequately described by Freundlich model (R(2)=0.946 and 0.934, χ(2)=22.414 and 64.761). The kinetic study revealed that the pseudo-second-order rate model (R(2)=0.996 and 0.997) was in better agreement with the experimental data. The negative values of ΔG° (-2.28 and -6.30 kJ/mol) and ΔH° (-172.18 and -101.62 kJ/mol) for CS beads and HDA modified CS beads, respectively; suggested a spontaneous and exothermic process for RB4 adsorption.
  4. Application of chitosan and its derivatives as adsorbents for dye removal from water and wastewater: a review
    Vakili M, Rafatullah M, Salamatinia B, Abdullah AZ, Ibrahim MH, Tan KB, et al.
    Carbohydr Polym, 2014 Nov 26;113:115-30.
    PMID: 25256466 DOI: 10.1016/j.carbpol.2014.07.007
    Chitosan based adsorbents have received a lot of attention for adsorption of dyes. Various modifications of this polysaccharide have been investigated to improve the adsorption properties as well as mechanical and physical characteristics of chitosan. This review paper discusses major research topics related to chitosan and its derivatives for application in the removal of dyes from water. Modification of chitosan changes the original properties of this material so that it can be more suitable for adsorption of different types of dye. Many chitosan derivatives have been obtained through chemical and physical modifications of raw chitosan that include cross-linking, grafting and impregnation of the chitosan backbone. Better understanding of these varieties and their affinity toward different types of dye can help future research to be properly oriented to address knowledge gaps in this area. This review provides better opportunity for researchers to better explore the potential of chitosan-derived adsorbents for removal of a great variety of dyes.
  5. A review on chitosan-cellulose blends and nanocellulose reinforced chitosan biocomposites: Properties and their applications
    H P S AK, Saurabh CK, A S A, Nurul Fazita MR, Syakir MI, Davoudpour Y, et al.
    Carbohydr Polym, 2016 Oct 05;150:216-26.
    PMID: 27312632 DOI: 10.1016/j.carbpol.2016.05.028
    Chitin is one of the most abundant natural polymers in world and it is used for the production of chitosan by deacetylation. Chitosan is antibacterial in nature, non-toxic, and biodegradable thus it can be used for the production of biodegradable film which is a green alternative to commercially available synthetic counterparts. However, their poor mechanical and thermal properties restricted its wide spread applications. Chitosan is highly compatible with other biopolymers thus its blending with cellulose and/or incorporation of nanofiber isolated from cellulose namely cellulose nanofiber and cellulose nanowhiskers are generally useful. Cellulosic fibers in nano scale are attractive reinforcement in chitosan to produce environmental friendly composite films with improved physical properties. Thus chitosan based composites have wide applicability and potential in the field of biomedical, packaging and water treatment. This review summarises properties and preparation procedure of chitosan-cellulose blends and nano size cellulose reinforcement in chitosan bionanocomposites for different applications.
  6. Elimination of reactive blue 4 from aqueous solutions using 3-aminopropyl triethoxysilane modified chitosan beads
    Vakili M, Rafatullah M, Salamatinia B, Ibrahim MH, Abdullah AZ
    Carbohydr Polym, 2015 Nov 05;132:89-96.
    PMID: 26256328 DOI: 10.1016/j.carbpol.2015.05.080
    The adsorption behavior of chitosan (CS) beads modified with 3-aminopropyl triethoxysilane (APTES) for the removal of reactive blue 4 (RB4) in batch studies has been investigated. The effects of modification conditions, such as the APTES concentration, temperature and reaction time on RB4 removal, were studied. The adsorbent prepared at a concentration of 2 wt% APTES for 8h at 50 °C was the most effective one for RB4 adsorption. The adsorption capacity of modified CS beads (433.77 mg/g) was 1.37 times higher than that of unmodified CS beads (317.23 mg/g). The isotherm data are adequately described by a Freundlich model, and the kinetic study revealed that the pseudo-second-order rate model was in better agreement with the experimental data. The negative values of the thermodynamic parameters, including ΔG° (-2.28 and -4.70 kJ/mol at 30 ± 2 °C), ΔH° (-172.18 and -43.82 kJ/mol) and ΔS° (-560.71 and -129.08 J/mol K) for CS beads and APTES modified beads, respectively, suggest that RB4 adsorption is a spontaneous and exothermic process.
  7. Catalytic thermolysis in treating Cibacron Blue in aqueous solution: Kinetics and degradation pathway
    Su CX, Teng TT, Wong YS, Morad N, Rafatullah M
    Chemosphere, 2016 Mar;146:503-10.
    PMID: 26741557 DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2015.12.048
    A thermal degradation pathway of the decolourisation of Reactive Cibacron Blue F3GA (RCB) in aqueous solution through catalytic thermolysis is established. Catalytic thermolysis is suitable for the removal of dyes from wastewater as it breaks down the complex dye molecules instead of only transferring them into another phase. RCB is a reactive dye that consists of three main groups, namely anthraquinone, benzene and triazine groups. Through catalytic thermolysis, the bonds that hold the three groups together were effectively broken and at the same time, the complex molecules degraded to form simple molecules of lower molecular weight. The degradation pathway and products were characterized and determined through UV-Vis, FT-IR and GCMS analysis. RCB dye molecule was successfully broken down into simpler molecules, namely, benzene derivatives, amines and triazine. The addition of copper sulphate, CuSO4, as a catalyst, hastens the thermal degradation of RCB by aiding in the breakdown of large, complex molecules. At pH 2 and catalyst mass loading of 5 g/L, an optimum colour removal of 66.14% was observed. The degradation rate of RCB is well explained by first order kinetics model.
  8. Heteroatom-doped magnetic hydrochar to remove post-transition and transition metals from water: Synthesis, characterization, and adsorption studies
    Khan MA, Alqadami AA, Otero M, Siddiqui MR, Alothman ZA, Alsohaimi I, et al.
    Chemosphere, 2019 Mar;218:1089-1099.
    PMID: 30609488 DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2018.11.210
    Efforts to improve water quality have led to the development of green and sustainable water treatment approaches. Herein, nitrogen-doped magnetized hydrochar (mSBHC-N) was synthesized, characterized, and used for the removal of post-transition and transition heavy metals, viz. Pb2+ and Cd2+ from aqueous environment. mSBHC-N was found to be mesoporous (BET surface area - 62.5 m2/g) and paramagnetic (saturation magnetization - 44 emu/g). Both, FT-IR (with peaks at 577, 1065, 1609 and 3440 cm-1 corresponding to Fe - O stretching vibrations, C - N stretching, N - H in-plane deformation and stretching) and XPS analyses (with peaks at 284.4, 400, 530, 710 eV due to C 1s, N 1s, O 1s, and Fe 2p) confirmed the presence of oxygen and nitrogen containing functional groups on mSBHC-N. The adsorption of Pb2+ and Cd2+ was governed by oxygen and nitrogen functionalities through electrostatic and co-ordination forces. 75-80% of Pb2+ and Cd2+ adsorption at Co: 25 mg/L, either from deionized water or humic acid solution was accomplished within 15 min. The data was fitted to pseudo-second-order kinetic and Langmuir isotherm models, with maximum monolayer adsorption capacities being 323 and 357 mg/g for Cd2+and Pb2+ at 318 K, respectively. Maximum Cd2+ (82.6%) and Pb2+ (78.7%) were eluted with 0.01 M HCl, simultaneously allowing minimum iron leaching (2.73%) from mSBHC-N. In conclusion, the study may provide a novel, economical, and clean route to utilize agro-waste, such as sugarcane bagasse (SB), for aquatic environment remediation.
  9. Recent advances in soil microbial fuel cells for soil contaminants remediation
    Abbas SZ, Rafatullah M
    Chemosphere, 2021 Jun;272:129691.
    PMID: 33573807 DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2021.129691
    The cost-effective and eco-friendly approaches are needed for decontamination of polluted soils. The bio-electrochemical system, especially microbial fuel cells (MFCs) offer great promise as a technology for remediation of soil, sediment, sludge and wastewater. Recently, soil MFCs (SMFCs) have been attracting increasing amounts of interest in environmental remediation, since they are capable of providing a clean and inexhaustible source of electron donors or acceptors and can be easily controlled by adjusting the electrochemical parameters. In this review, we comprehensively covered the principle of SMFCs including the mechanisms of electron releasing and electron transportation, summarized the applications for soil contaminants remediation by SMFCs with highlights on organic contaminants degradation and heavy metal ions removal. In addition, the main factors that affected the performance of SMFCs were discussed in details which would be helpful for performance optimization of SMFCs as well as the efficiency improvement for soil remediation. Moreover, the key issues need to be addressed and future perspectives are presented.
  10. Titanium-based nanocomposite materials: a review of recent advances and perspectives
    Shahadat M, Teng TT, Rafatullah M, Arshad M
    Colloids Surf B Biointerfaces, 2015 Feb 1;126:121-37.
    PMID: 25543989 DOI: 10.1016/j.colsurfb.2014.11.049
    This article explains recent advances in the synthesis and characterization of novel titanium-based nanocomposite materials. Currently, it is a pressing concern to develop innovative skills for the fabrication of hybrid nanomaterials under varying experimental conditions. This review generally focuses on the adsorption behavior of nanocomposites for the exclusion of organic and inorganic pollutants from industrial effluents and their significant applications in various fields. The assessment of recently published articles on the conjugation of organic polymers with titanium has revealed that these materials may be a new means of managing aquatic pollution. These nanocomposite materials not only create alternative methods for designing novel materials, but also develop innovative industrial applications. In the future, titanium-based hybrid nanomaterials are expected to open new approaches for demonstrating their outstanding applications in diverse fields.
  11. Essential Oils: Extraction Techniques, Pharmaceutical And Therapeutic Potential - A Review
    Aziz ZAA, Ahmad A, Setapar SHM, Karakucuk A, Azim MM, Lokhat D, et al.
    Curr Drug Metab, 2018;19(13):1100-1110.
    PMID: 30039757 DOI: 10.2174/1389200219666180723144850
    BACKGROUND: Essential oils are liquid extracts from aromatic plants, which have numerous applications in multiple industries. There are a variety of methods used for the extraction of essential oils, with each method exhibiting certain advantages and determining the biological and physicochemical properties of the extracted oils. Essential oils from different plant species contain more than 200 constituents which are comprised of volatile and non-volatile components. The application of essential oils as antimicrobial, anticancer, anti-inflammatory and anti-viral agents is due to their effective and efficient properties, inter alia.

    METHOD: Several advanced (supercritical fluid extraction, subcritical extraction liquid, solvent-free microwave extraction) and conventional (hydrodistillation, steam distillation, hydrodiffusion, solvent extraction) methods have been discussed for the extraction of essential oils. Advanced methods are considered as the most promising extraction techniques due to less extraction time, low energy consumption, low solvent used and less carbon dioxide emission.

    CONCLUSION: This manuscript reviewed the major research studies in the field and discussed several research findings on the chemical composition of essential oils, methods of oil extraction, and application of these oils in pharmaceutical and therapeutic fields. These essential oils can be used as anticancer, antimicrobial, antiviral, and as skin permeation enhancer agents.

  12. The use of date palm as a potential adsorbent for wastewater treatment: a review
    Ahmad T, Danish M, Rafatullah M, Ghazali A, Sulaiman O, Hashim R, et al.
    Environ Sci Pollut Res Int, 2012 Jun;19(5):1464-84.
    PMID: 22207239 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-011-0709-8
    BACKGROUND: In tropical countries, the palm tree is one of the most abundant and important trees. Date palm is a principal fruit grown in many regions of the world. It is abundant, locally available and effective material that could be used as an adsorbent for the removal of different pollutants from aqueous solution.

    REVIEW: This article presents a review on the role of date palm as adsorbents in the removal of unwanted materials such as acid and basic dyes, heavy metals, and phenolic compounds. Many studies on adsorption properties of various low cost adsorbent, such as agricultural waste and activated carbons based on agricultural waste have been reported in recent years.

    CONCLUSION: Studies have shown that date palm-based adsorbents are the most promising adsorbents for removing unwanted materials. No previous review is available where researchers can get an overview of the adsorption capacities of date palm-based adsorbent used for the adsorption of different pollutants. This review provides the recent literature demonstrating the usefulness of date palm biomass-based adsorbents in the adsorption of various pollutants.

  13. Abelmoschus esculentus (Okra) seed extract for stabilization of the biosynthesized TiO2 photocatalyst used for degradation of stable organic substance in water
    Aslam M, Abdullah AZ, Rafatullah M, Fawad A
    Environ Sci Pollut Res Int, 2022 Jan 27.
    PMID: 35083668 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-021-18066-1
    The seed extract of Abelmoschus esculentus (AE), also known as Okra, was used as a source of reducing and capping agents to synthesized biogenic titanium dioxide nanoparticles (TiO2 NPs) due to its rich flavonoid contents. The synthesized AE-TiO2 nanoparticles were further evaluated by the effect of loading of TiO2 NPs and irradiation time on the photocatalytic degradation of methylene blue dye. The synthesized TiO2 NPs were then characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS), Fourier transformed infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, Raman spectra, UV-visible spectrophotometry, and particle size distribution (PSD). The findings confirmed the successful synthesis of the spherical anatase phase of TiO2 NPs, as well as the existence of phytochemicals in the extract, which were involved in the capping/stabilization of NPs. The synthesized TiO2 NPs were found to be 60-120 nm in size and almost uniformly distributed throughout the sample. The photocatalytic activity measured in a 300 mL cylindrical photochemical reactor and irradiated with 250 watts UV lamp was investigated based on methylene blue degradation. Effects of irradiation time and catalyst loading were elucidated and correlated with the characteristics of the catalysts. The findings revealed that the synthesized TiO2 NPs were well-dispersed, stable, and could achieve more than 80 % degradation in 240 min of irradiation with 90 mg/L of AE-TiO2 NPs loading compared to only 70 % by the commercial one. These results suggested that AE-TiO2 NPs possesses significant catalytic activity, and the photocatalytic process could be used to degrade, decolorize, and mineralize the methylene blue dye. The polyphenolic tannins present in the extract were the reason behind the desirable characteristics of the nanoparticles and better photocatalytic activity of AE-TiO2 NPs.
  14. An insight into the role of experimental parameters in advanced oxidation process applied for pharmaceutical degradation
    Qutob M, Alshehri S, Shakeel F, Alam P, Rafatullah M
    Environ Sci Pollut Res Int, 2024 Apr;31(18):26452-26479.
    PMID: 38546921 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-024-33040-3
    The advanced oxidation process (AOP) is an efficient method to treat recalcitrance pollutants such as pharmaceutical compounds. The essential physicochemical factors in AOP experiments significantly influence the efficiency, speed, cost, and safety of byproducts of the treatment process. In this review, we collected recent articles that investigated the elimination of pharmaceutical compounds by various AOP systems in a water medium, and then we provide an overview of AOP systems, the formation mechanisms of active radicals or reactive oxygen species (ROS), and their detection methods. Then, we discussed the role of the main physicochemical parameters (pH, chemical interference, temperature, catalyst, pollutant concentration, and oxidant concentration) in a critical way. We gained insight into the most frequent scenarios for the proper and improper physicochemical parameters for the degradation of pharmaceutical compounds. Also, we mentioned the main factors that restrict the application of AOP systems in a commercial way. We demonstrated that a proper adjustment of AOP experimental parameters resulted in promoting the treatment performance, decreasing the treatment cost and the treatment operation time, increasing the safeness of the system products, and improving the reaction stoichiometric efficiency. The outcomes of this review will be beneficial for future AOP applicants to improve the pharmaceutical compound treatment by providing a deeper understanding of the role of the parameters. In addition, the proper application of physicochemical parameters in AOP systems acts to track the sustainable development goals (SDGs).
  15. Fulltext Exploration of Microbial Factories for Synthesis of Nanoparticles - A Sustainable Approach for Bioremediation of Environmental Contaminants
    Kapoor RT, Salvadori MR, Rafatullah M, Siddiqui MR, Khan MA, Alshareef SA
    Front Microbiol, 2021;12:658294.
    PMID: 34149647 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2021.658294
    The nanomaterials synthesis is an intensifying research field due to their wide applications. The high surface-to-volume ratio of nanoparticles and quick interaction capacity with different particles make them as an attractive tool in different areas. Conventional physical and chemical procedures for development of metal nanoparticles become outmoded due to extensive production method, energy expenditure and generation of toxic by-products which causes significant risks to the human health and environment. Hence, there is a growing requirement to search substitute, non-expensive, reliable, biocompatible and environmental friendly methods for development of nanoparticles. The nanoparticles synthesis by microorganisms has gained significant interest due to their potential to synthesize nanoparticles in various sizes, shape and composition with different physico-chemical properties. Microbes can be widely applied for nanoparticles production due to easy handling and processing, requirement of low-cost medium such as agro-wastes, simple scaling up, economic viability with the ability of adsorbing and reducing metal ions into nanoparticles through metabolic processes. Biogenic synthesis of nanoparticles offers clean, non-toxic, environmentally benign and sustainable approach in which renewable materials can be used for metal reduction and nanoparticle stabilization. Nanomaterials synthesized through microbes can be used as a pollution abatement tool as they also contain multiple functional groups that can easily target pollutants for efficient bioremediation and promotes environmental cleanup. The objective of the present review is to highlight the significance of micro-organisms like bacteria, actinomycetes, filamentous fungi, yeast, algae and viruses for nanoparticles synthesis and advantages of microbial approaches for elimination of heavy metals, dyes and wastewater treatment.
  16. Fulltext Bioremediation and Electricity Generation by Using Open and Closed Sediment Microbial Fuel Cells
    Abbas SZ, Rafatullah M, Khan MA, Siddiqui MR
    Front Microbiol, 2018;9:3348.
    PMID: 30692985 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2018.03348
    The industrial contamination of marine sediments with mercury, silver, and zinc in Penang, Malaysia was studied with bio-remediation coupled with power generation using membrane less open (aerated) and closed (non-aerated) sediment microbial fuel cells (SMFCs). The prototype for this SMFC is very similar to a natural aquatic environment because it is not stimulated externally and an oxygen sparger is inserted in the cathode chamber to create the aerobic environment in the open SMFC and no oxygen supplied in the closed SMFC. The open and closed SMFCs were showed the maximum voltage generation 300.5 mV (77.75 mW/m2) and 202.7 mV (45.04 (mW/m2), respectively. The cyclic voltammetry showed the oxidation peak in open SMFCs at +1.9 μA and reduction peak at -0.3 μA but in closed SMFCs oxidation and reduction peaks were noted at +1.5 μA and -1.0 μA, respectively. The overall impedance (anode, cathode and solution) of closed SMFCs was higher than open SMFCs. The charge transfer impedance showed that the rates of substrate oxidation and reduction were very low in the closed SMFCs than open SMFCs. The Nyquist arc indicated that O2 act as electron acceptor in the open SMFCs and CO2 in the closed SMFCs. The highest remediation efficiency of toxic metals [Hg (II) ions, Zn (II) ions, and Ag (I) ions] in the open SMFCs were 95.03%, 86.69%, and 83.65% in closed SMFCs were 69.53%, 66.57%, and 65.33%, respectively, observed during 60-80 days. The scanning electron microscope and 16S rRNA analysis showed diverse exoelectrogenic community in the open SMFCs and closed SMFCs. The results demonstrated that open SMFCs could be employed for the power generation and bioremediation of pollutants.
  17. Fulltext Eco-Friendly CuO/Fe3O4 Nanocomposite synthesis, characterization, and cytotoxicity study
    Dwivedi P, Malik A, Fatima Hussain HZ, Jatrana I, Imtiyaz K, Rizvi MMA, et al.
    Heliyon, 2024 Mar 30;10(6):e27787.
    PMID: 38496878 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e27787
    The current study report a convenient, simple, and low cost approach for the biogenic synthesis of CuO/Fe3O4 nanocomposites (NCs) from pumpkin seeds extract and their vitro cytotoxicity. The characterization of finally obtained CuO/Fe3O4 nanocomposites (NCs) performed using UV-Visible, FT-IR, XRD, XPS, GC-MS, SEM-EDX and TEM analysis. The formation and elemental analysis were determined using the energy-dispersive X-ray (EDX) microanalysis technique. The formation of rod-like monoclinic and spherical, having size range 5 nm-20 nm confirmed by scanning electron microscope (SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) respectively. Finally, the MTT assay of the synthesized composites was evaluated for toxicity against cancerous cell lines HCT-116 (Colon cancer cell) and A549 (human lung adenocarcinoma cell). The synthesized composite material showed moderate (IC50 = 199 μg/mL) to low (IC50 = 445 μg/mL) activity against HCT-116 and A549 cell lines, respectively.
  18. Fulltext A Review on Bacterial Contribution to Lignocellulose Breakdown into Useful Bio-Products
    Chukwuma OB, Rafatullah M, Tajarudin HA, Ismail N
    Int J Environ Res Public Health, 2021 Jun 03;18(11).
    PMID: 34204975 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph18116001
    Discovering novel bacterial strains might be the link to unlocking the value in lignocellulosic bio-refinery as we strive to find alternative and cleaner sources of energy. Bacteria display promise in lignocellulolytic breakdown because of their innate ability to adapt and grow under both optimum and extreme conditions. This versatility of bacterial strains is being harnessed, with qualities like adapting to various temperature, aero tolerance, and nutrient availability driving the use of bacteria in bio-refinery studies. Their flexible nature holds exciting promise in biotechnology, but despite recent pointers to a greener edge in the pretreatment of lignocellulose biomass and lignocellulose-driven bioconversion to value-added products, the cost of adoption and subsequent scaling up industrially still pose challenges to their adoption. However, recent studies have seen the use of co-culture, co-digestion, and bioengineering to overcome identified setbacks to using bacterial strains to breakdown lignocellulose into its major polymers and then to useful products ranging from ethanol, enzymes, biodiesel, bioflocculants, and many others. In this review, research on bacteria involved in lignocellulose breakdown is reviewed and summarized to provide background for further research. Future perspectives are explored as bacteria have a role to play in the adoption of greener energy alternatives using lignocellulosic biomass.
  19. Fulltext Advancement in Benthic Microbial Fuel Cells toward Sustainable Bioremediation and Renewable Energy Production
    Umar MF, Rafatullah M, Abbas SZ, Mohamad Ibrahim MN, Ismail N
    Int J Environ Res Public Health, 2021 Apr 06;18(7).
    PMID: 33917378 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph18073811
    Anthropogenic activities are largely responsible for the vast amounts of pollutants such as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, cyanides, phenols, metal derivatives, sulphides, and other chemicals in wastewater. The excess benzene, toluene and xylene (BTX) can cause severe toxicity to living organisms in wastewater. A novel approach to mitigate this problem is the benthic microbial fuel cell (BMFC) setup to produce renewable energy and bio-remediate wastewater aromatic hydrocarbons. Several mechanisms of electrogens have been utilized for the bioremediation of BTX through BMFCs. In the future, BMFCs may be significant for chemical and petrochemical industry wastewater treatment. The distinct factors are considered to evaluate the performance of BMFCs, such as pollutant removal efficiency, power density, and current density, which are discussed by using operating parameters such as, pH, temperature and internal resistance. To further upgrade the BMFC technology, this review summarizes prototype electrode materials, the bioremediation of BTX, and their applications.
  20. Fulltext Optimization for Liquid-Liquid Extraction of Cd(II) over Cu(II) Ions from Aqueous Solutions Using Ionic Liquid Aliquat 336 with Tributyl Phosphate
    Lee LY, Morad N, Ismail N, Talebi A, Rafatullah M
    Int J Mol Sci, 2020 Sep 18;21(18).
    PMID: 32962106 DOI: 10.3390/ijms21186860
    This study investigates the separation of two heavy metals, Cd(II) and Cu(II), from the mixed synthetic feed using a liquid-liquid extraction. The current study uses tri-octyl methylammonium chloride (Aliquat 336) as the extractant (with tributyl phosphate (TBP) as a phase modifier), diluted in toluene, in order to investigate the selective extraction of Cd(II) over Cu(II) ions. We investigate the use of ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA) as a masking agent for Cu(II), when added in aqueous feed, for the selective extraction of Cd(II). Five factors that influence the selective extraction of Cd(II) over Cu(II) (the equilibrium pH (pHeq), Aliquat 336 concentration (Aliquat 336), TBP concentration (TBP), EDTA concentration (EDTA), and organic to aqueous ratio (O:A)) were analyzed. Results from a 25-1 fractional factorial design show that Aliquat 336 significantly influenced Cd(II) extraction, whereas EDTA was statistically significant for the antagonistic effect on the E% of Cu(II) in the same system. Moreover, results from optimization experiment showed that the optimum conditions are Aliquat 336 concentration of 99.64 mM and EDTA concentration of 48.86 mM-where 95.89% of Cd(II) was extracted with the least extracted Cu(II) of 0.59%. A second-order model was fitted for optimization of Cd(II) extraction with a R2 value of 0.998, and ANOVA results revealed that the model adequately fitted the data at a 5% significance level. Interaction between Aliquat 336 and Cd(II) has been proven via FTIR qualitative analysis, whereas the addition of TBP does not affect the extraction mechanism.
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