In this study, green tea was used as a reducing agent to prepare GT-nZVI/Cu nano-zero-valent iron-copper bimetallic materials for nitrate degradation. Through single factor experiments, the process conditions for nitrate removal by GT-nZVI/Cu were optimized. By measuring the contents of nitrate, nitrite, and ammonia nitrogen in the reaction products, the reduction pathway of nitrate-nitrogen in GT-nZVI/Cu was studied. In addition, the removal mechanism of nitrate by GT-nZVI/Cu was also analyzed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and kinetic experiments. The results showed that the size of GT-nZVI/Cu particles is between 50 and 70 nm, and they are irregular spherical shapes. The polyphenol antioxidants in green tea make GT-nZVI/Cu have stronger antioxidant properties, and the denitration products are mostly nitrogen. The addition of copper ions accelerates the reaction time and reaction rate. The maximum removal rate of nitrate by GT-nZVI/Cu within 75 min can be up to 99 %. After three repeated experiments, the removal rate of GT-nZVI/Cu can still reach 70 %. The removal mechanism of GT-nZVI/Cu has enhanced nitrate removal through complexation, redox, and adsorption co-precipitation. This study provides a new route for the green preparation and efficient application of nZVI.
The present work describes the fabrication, characterization, and optimization of plasma polymerized pyrrole films, PPpy, prepared by continuous wave for application as the adhesion layers of bovine serum albumin (BSA). Plasma conditions used throughout the work produced significant differences in the chemical, physical, and electrochemical properties of the resultant PPpy films. Structural analysis and property characterizations of PPpy were carried out using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and electrochemical workstation. Surface plasmon resonance spectroscopy was used to investigate the adsorption kinetics of BSA onto PPpy films. Moreover, when immersed in solutions or after BSA adsorption, the differences of electron transfer at the interfaces between the PPpy and the electrolyte solutions were determined by electro impedance spectroscopy. While there is a clear dependence of the protein adsorption affinity on the plasma polymerization condition employed during the film preparation. The relationship between film structure, electrochemical properties, polymer stability in aqueous buffer, and protein binding affinities are discussed.