Faculty Publications

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    Insights on the advanced processes for treatment of inorganic water pollutants
    (Elsevier, 2020) Mohan Balakrishnan, R.M.; Uddandarao, P.; Manirethan, V.; Raval, K.
    A remarkable increase in the discharge of inorganic pollutants globally from various sources such as mines, industries, or agricultural lands is a major threat to the environment. Development of novel methodologies to mitigate the effects caused by inorganic pollutants in water is crucial in addressing environmental issues. In this regard, various biological sources as nanosorbents and biosensors are venerated as superior entities for the detection and removal of inorganic contaminants. This chapter summarizes the utility of marine bacterial melanin- and fungal-based selenium nanoparticles for the adsorption and further reports endophytic fungal–based ZnS and PbS nanoparticles for the detection of inorganic pollutants from the aqueous systems; moreover, it gives a perspective on current challenges for the removal of contaminants. © 2020 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
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    Adsorptive removal of trivalent and pentavalent arsenic from aqueous solutions using iron and copper impregnated melanin extracted from the marine bacterium Pseudomonas stutzeri
    (Elsevier Ltd, 2020) Manirethan, V.; Raval, K.; Mohan Balakrishnan, R.M.
    The metalloid arsenic is one of the most conspicuous groundwater contaminants in the Indian subcontinent and its removal from aqueous medium is the main focus of this study. The study aims at functionalising melanin using iron and copper for the efficient removal of arsenic and rendering water fit for consumption. Melanin obtained from the marine bacteria Pseudomonas stutzeri was functionalised by iron impregnation (Fe-melanin) and copper impregnation (Cu-melanin). Morphological studies using FESEM portrayed the impregnated iron and copper granules on the surface of melanin, while XRD analysis confirmed the presence of Fe2O3 and CuO on melanin. Adsorption studies on As (V) and As (III) were conducted using Fe-melanin and Cu-melanin for different operating variables like pH, temperature and contact time. More than 99% per cent of As (III) and As (V) from water was removed at a pH range between 4 and 6 within 50 min in the case of Fe-melanin and 80 min for Cu-melanin. Adsorption equilibrium studies showed better fit with Langmuir adsorption isotherm and had good agreement with Redlich-Peterson's three-parameter model. The maximum adsorption capacities of Fe-melanin and Cu-melanin obtained from Langmuir adsorption model are 50.12 and 20.39 mg/g, respectively, for As (V) and similarly 39.98 and 19.52 mg/g, respectively, for As (III). Arsenic-binding to the functionalised melanin was confirmed using FT-IR and the XPS analysis. Reuse of the adsorbent was effectively done by desorbing the iron and copper together with the bound As (III) and As (V) and further re-impregnation of iron and copper in melanin. Re-functionalised melanin showed 99% adsorption efficiency up to four cycles of adsorption/desorption. A novel iron and copper impregnated melanin was synthesized to remove As (III) and As (V) from groundwater and the adsorption process was optimized. © 2019 Elsevier Ltd
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    Adsorption of selective fluoroquinolones by cysteine modified silane magnetic nanocomposite from the aqueous phase
    (Institute for Ionics, 2023) Senathiraja, T.; Lolla, S.A.; Singh, Y.; Kollarahithlu, S.C.; Mohan Balakrishnan, R.M.
    Elevated levels of pharmaceutical pollutants in the aquatic environment have caused detrimental effects on water quality and biodiversity. Nanomaterials are among the most promising technologies to detect, adsorb, and remove these pollutants from the aqueous systems. The current work explores the applicability of nickel ferrite nanocomposite functionalized with L-cysteine attached 3-glycidyloxypropyltrimethoxysilane to remove a selective class of antibiotics known as fluoroquinolones (Lomefloxacin, Ciprofloxacin, and Norfloxacin). 20 mg of this nanocomposite achieve maximum removal efficiencies of 61%, 67%, and 75% for 40 mg L−1 of lomefloxacin, norfloxacin, and ciprofloxacin, respectively. The nanocomposites also show good regeneration capacity with negligible reduction in the efficiencies up to three cycles. Furthermore, adsorption isotherms such as Langmuir and Freundlich isotherms were used to characterize the removal of fluoroquinolones from the aqueous phase by the nanocomposites. The results show that the adsorption process was in good agreement with the Langmuir isotherm, thus confirming its monolayer sorption process and also reveals that adsorption kinetics follows a pseudo-second-order model. The maximum adsorption capacity of functionalized nickel ferrite nanocomposites are 122 mg g−1, 135 mg g−1, and 150 mg g−1 for lomefloxacin, norfloxacin, and ciprofloxacin, respectively. Overall, all the results obtained indicate that the nickel ferrite nanocomposite functionalized with L-cysteine attached 3-glycidyloxypropyltrimethoxysilane is an effective adsorbent to remove fluoroquinolones from the aqueous systems and could be potentially incorporated in water treatment processes under well-defined parameters. © 2022, The Author(s) under exclusive licence to Iranian Society of Environmentalists (IRSEN) and Science and Research Branch, Islamic Azad University.