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Ruphino Zugle

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shant shahbazian

Shahid Beheshti University

Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv

Masaryk University

Rehab O . Abdel Rahman

National Center for Radiation Research and Technology,Atomic Energy Authority, Egypt

Francisco Garrido

Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ)

Malathi C N Gowda

Panjab Agricultural University, Ludhiana

Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique / French National Centre for Scientific Research

University of California, San Diego

Mostafa R. Abukhadra

Beni-Suef University

University of East London

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Papers by Ruphino Zugle

Improving the Quality of Locally Produced Vegetable Oils in Ghana Using Zeolite ZSM-11

Chemical Science International Journal, 2020

The local vegetable oils (Coconut and Palm Kernel Oils) are usually faced with short shelf-life w... more The local vegetable oils (Coconut and Palm Kernel Oils) are usually faced with short shelf-life which has been associated with the presence of some unwanted materials present in them. This study explores the potential of using locally manufactures Zeolites in removing these impurities to improve the shelf life of these oils. The Zeolite used in this study was synthesized using locally available raw materials such as bauxite and kaolin through the hydrothermal process X-ray diffraction studies of the synthesized Zeolite were found to be part of the ZSM-11 Zeolite type group. FTIR analysis of the sample showed a weak vibrational peak at 1642cm-1 and a strong band at 987cm-1. Batch process for the removal of these unwanted materials was performed. Percentage reduction of 85.71%, 89.22%, 89.36% and 83.81% was recorded for impurities, moisture content, free fatty acid and peroxide value reduction in Palm Kernel Oil and 85.71%, 83.33%, 93.26%, 90.57% for Coconut Oil. Kinetic studies showe...

Comparative phototransformation of environmental pollutants using metallophthalocyanines supported on electrospun polymer fibers

Journal of Applied Polymer Science, Aug 9, 2012

The fluorescence and photoactivity of a series of Zn and Lu phthalocyanine complexes incorporated... more The fluorescence and photoactivity of a series of Zn and Lu phthalocyanine complexes incorporated in various polymer fibers were investigated for the phototransformation of 4-chlorophenol, 4-nitrophenol, and methyl orange. The phthalocyanine complexes functionalized on polystyrene and polysulfone polymer fibers could be applied in the degradation of 4-chlorophenol, 4-nitrophenol, and methyl orange with 4-chlorophenol being much more susceptible to degradation while methyl orange was the least. Also polymer fibers of polystyrene were found to be reusable. V

Enzyme-like catalysis using metallophthalocyanines

Quantification of Imipramine, Amitriptyline and their Major Metabolites in Urine Samples of Depressed Patients by Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry

Biotransformation of antidepressant drugs is said to affect their pharmacological profile and sub... more Biotransformation of antidepressant drugs is said to affect their pharmacological profile and subsequently alter their treatment efficacies. Imipramine and amitriptyline are the major drugs used for the management of manic depression at the Ankaful psychiatric hospital in Ghana. Recent reports have shown that some patients stay longer on this therapy than expected, while others do not get well at all. Herein, we report a modified solid phase extraction (SPE) method for the extraction of these antidepressant drugs; imipramine, amitriptyline and their respective metabolites, desipramine and 10-hydroxyamitriptyline from urine samples of five adult manic depressed patients. The compounds were simultaneously analyzed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). The calibration curves were linear over a range of 10-100 µg/L for all the analytes with the square of the regression coefficient (R2) ranging from 0.990 to 0.997. Analyses of the drugs and their respective metabolites over a ...

A highly selective and sensitive pyridylazo-2-naphthol-poly(acrylic acid) functionalized electrospun nanofiber fluorescence “turn-off” chemosensory system for Ni2+

Analytical Methods, 2012

ABSTRACT A fluorescent nanofiber probe for the determination of Ni 2+ was developed via the elect... more ABSTRACT A fluorescent nanofiber probe for the determination of Ni 2+ was developed via the electrospinning of a covalently functionalized pyridylazo-2-naphthol-poly(acrylic acid) polymer. Fluorescent nanofibers with diameters in the range 230–800 nm were produced with uniformly dispersed fluorophores. The excitation and emission fluorescence were at wavelengths 479 and 557 nm respectively, thereby exhibiting a good Stokes&#39; shift. This Ni 2+ probe that employs fluorescence quenching in a solid receptor–fluorophore system exhibited a good correlation between the fluorescence intensity and nickel concentration up to 1.0 mg mL À1 based on the Stern–Volmer mechanism. The probe achieved a detection limit (3d/S) of 0.07 ng mL À1 and a precision, calculated as a relative standard deviation (RSD) of &lt;4% (n ¼ 8). The concentration of Ni 2+ in a certified reference material (SEP-3) was found to be 0.8986 mg mL À1 , which is significantly comparable with the certified value of 0.8980 mg mL À1 . The accuracy of the determinations, expressed as a relative error between the certified and the observed values of certified reference groundwater was #0.1%. The versatility of the nanofiber probe was demonstrated by affording simple, rapid and selective detection of Ni 2+ in the presence of other competing metal ions by direct analysis, without employing any further sample handling steps.

Levels of Mercury, Cadmium, and Zinc in the Topsoil of Some Selected Towns in the Wassa West District of the Western Region of Ghana

Soil and Sediment Contamination, 2010

... 2530 37 7.0 2.3 Takoradi 05 70 5.4 1.8 1015 47 4.9 1.6 2530 23 4.6 1.5 Agona Nkwanta 05 ... more

Photocatalytic degradation of azo reactive dyes with ultraviolet and sunlight irradiated zinc oxide

Dye effluents are among the most persistent sources of pollution of water bodies and aquatic life... more Dye effluents are among the most persistent sources of pollution of water bodies and aquatic life. Notable dyes with known carcinogenic effects at low concentrations include azo reactive dyes. The present investigation is focused on the photocatalytic degradation of representative commercial azo dyes using zinc oxide (ZnO). The findings of this research show that ZnO irradiated with ultraviolet (UV) radiation is more effective at degrading C .I. Reactive Yellow 145, C .I. Reactive Blue 194 and C.I. Reactive Red 194 as compared to the sunlight irradiated ZnO. The crystallinity, surface morphology and band gap energy of the ZnO were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) image and UV-Visible absorption spectroscopy respectively. The ZnO has a hexagonal wurzite structure with a band gap of 3.17 eV. The degradation profile was found to decrease with increasing initial dye concentration. The degradation efficiency of the respective dyes under UV and ...

Kinetics and Equilibrium Thermodynamic Studies of the Adsorption of Phenolphthalein and Methyl Orange onto Muscovite Clay

A batch adsorption method for the removal of methyl orange and phenolphthalein from aqueous media... more A batch adsorption method for the removal of methyl orange and phenolphthalein from aqueous media onto muscovite clay has been assessed and proven to be successful. The adsorption studies were performed at 303, 323 and 343 K. Factors such as temperature and pH were evaluated. Equilibrium adsorption for all the adsorbates was attained after 30 minutes. Investigation of the adsorption isotherm at 303 K using the Langmuir and Freundlich isotherm models showed that the adsorption of both indicators obey the Langmuir isotherm model with monolayer adsorptive capacities of 13.00 and 2.48 mg/g for methyl orange and phenolphthalein, respectively. The pseudo-second-order kinetic model best describes both adsorption processes with R2 > 0.99 and negative activation energies indicating physisorption processes. Assessment of the thermodynamic parameters showed that although the adsorption processes were endothermic (ΔH values of +8.77 kJ/mol and +15.62 kJ/mol for methyl orange and phenolphthal...

Phototransformation of pollutants using lutetium and zinc phthalocyanines anchored on electrospun polymer fibers

This work is dedicated to the glory of God; his amazing grace has led to the production of this w... more This work is dedicated to the glory of God; his amazing grace has led to the production of this work. The work is also dedicated to: My wife Mrs Ernestina L. Zugle My Daughter Miss Rhoda Nuo-ire Zugle My son Mr Rudolf Mwin-tire Zugle iii Acknowledgement It is with heartfelt gratitude that I wish to express my profound appreciation to individuals and groups who have facilitated the production of this piece of work. I first of all thank Professor Tebello Nyokong for accepting me into her research laboratory and also taking on the task of directing the research to its final production.

Photocatalysis using zinc oxide-zinc phthalocyanine composite for effective mineralization of organic pollutants

Catalysis Communications

Comparing the Efficiencies of the Removal of Cadmium from Industrial Wastewater Using Zeolites

International Research Journal of Pure and Applied Chemistry, Apr 10, 2020

The presence of heavy metals in industrial wastewater needed to be removed in other to control po... more The presence of heavy metals in industrial wastewater needed to be removed in other to control pollution which has been caused as a result of human and industrial activities. Several adsorbents have been used for the remediation process but with this particular research work, Zeolites were used. They were synthesized hydrothermally from various locally available raw materials namely rice husk, corn stalk, corn husk, and kaolin. They were characterized using their FTIR to determine the functional groups on the material synthesized and also their adsorptive activities were compared with industrially synthesized Zeolite X. A very strong peak at 1052 cm-1 is as a result of the asymmetric vibrations of the internal TO tetrahedron with a weak symmetric TO stretching vibration recorded at 797 cm-1. Another strong peak was observed at 445 cm-1 as a result of the O-TO bending vibration which confirms the presence of a five-membered structure. The adsorptive properties of the synthesized Zeolites were evaluated by using them to remove Cadmium ions from solution and their percentage removals were determined. Similarly, their adsorption kinetics were also determined and was observed the R 2 values to be 0.9093 and 0.9454 for Corn husk and Cornstalk for the first order and the second order with R 2 values of 1 for rice husk, kaolin and corn stalk.

Theoretical Study of Terminal Vanadium(V) Chalcogenido Complexes Bearing Chlorido and Methoxido Ligands

Journal of Chemistry, 2017

Solvent (methanol) coordinated vanadium(V) chalcogenido complexes bearing chlorido and methoxido ... more Solvent (methanol) coordinated vanadium(V) chalcogenido complexes bearing chlorido and methoxido ligands have been studied computationally by means of density functional (DFT) methods. The gas phase complexes were fully optimized using B3LYP/GEN functionals with 6-31+G * * and LANL2DZ basis sets. The optimized complexes show distorted octahedral geometries around the central vanadium atom. The ligand p-vanadium d interactions were analyzed by natural bond order (NBO) and natural population analyses (NPA). These results show strong stabilization of the V=O bond as was further confirmed by the analyses of the frontier molecular orbitals (FMOs). Second-order perturbation analyses also revealed substantial delocalization of lone pair electrons from the oxido ligand into vacant non-Lewis (Rydberg) orbitals as compared to the sulfido and seleno analogues. These results show significant ligand-to-metal charge transfer (LMCT) interactions. Full interaction map (FIM) of the reference complex confirms hydrogen bond interactions involving the methanol (O-H) and the chlorido ligand.

Electronic Spectra of ortho-Substituted Phenols: An Experimental and DFT Study

Journal of Spectroscopy, Oct 9, 2018

e electronic spectra of phenol, 2-chlorophenol, 2-aminophenol, and 2-nitrophenol have been studie... more e electronic spectra of phenol, 2-chlorophenol, 2-aminophenol, and 2-nitrophenol have been studied both experimentally and computationally. e effect of the substituents on the solvatochromic behavior of the phenols were investigated in polar protic (methanol) and aprotic (dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO)) solvents. e spectra of 2-nitrophenol recorded the highest red shift in methanol. e observed spectral changes were investigated computationally by means of density functional theory (DFT) methods. e gas phase compounds were fully optimized using B3LYP functionals with 6-31++G(d,p) bases set. e effects of the substituents on the electron distribution in the σ-bonds as well as the natural charge on the constituent atoms were analyzed by natural bond orbital (NBO) and natural population analysis (NPA). Second-order perturbation analyses also revealed substantial delocalization of nonbonding electrons on the substituents onto the phenyl ring, thereby increasing its electron density. Full interaction map (FIM) also showed regions of varying propensities for hydrogen and halogen bonding interactions on the phenols.

Improving the Quality of Locally Produced Vegetable Oils in Ghana Using Zeolite ZSM-11

Chemical Science International Journal, 2020

The local vegetable oils (Coconut and Palm Kernel Oils) are usually faced with short shelf-life w... more The local vegetable oils (Coconut and Palm Kernel Oils) are usually faced with short shelf-life which has been associated with the presence of some unwanted materials present in them. This study explores the potential of using locally manufactured Zeolites in removing these impurities to improve the shelf life of these oils. The Zeolite used in this study was synthesized using locally available raw materials such as bauxite and kaolin through the hydrothermal process. X-ray diffraction studies of the synthesized Zeolite were found to be part of the ZSM-11 Zeolite type group. FTIR analysis of the sample showed a weak vibrational peak at 1642cm-1 and a strong band at 987cm-1. Batch process for the removal of these unwanted materials was performed. Percentage reduction of 85.71%, 89.22%, 89.36% and 83.81% was recorded for impurities, moisture content, free fatty acid and peroxide value reduction in Palm Kernel Oil and 85.71%, 83.33%, 93.26%, 90.57% for Coconut Oil. Kinetic studies show...

Changes in the Spectral Features of Zinc Phthalocyanine Induced by Nitrogen Dioxide Gas in Solution and in Solid Polymer Nanofiber Media

Journal of Fluorescence

The changes in the spectral features of zinc phthalocyanine in the visible domain as a result of ... more The changes in the spectral features of zinc phthalocyanine in the visible domain as a result of its interaction with nitrogen dioxide gas were assessed in this work. This was done both in solution and when the phthalocyanine was incorporated into a solid polystyrene polymer nanofiber matrix. The spectral changes were found to be spontaneous and marked in both cases suggesting a rapid response criterion for the detection of the gas. In particular, the functionalised nano-fabric material could serve as a practical fire alarm system as it rapidly detects the nitrogen dioxide gas generated during burning.

Carrier-facilitated transport of potassium ions across chloroform membrane

Transport of potassium ions across a chloroform membrane to mimic active transport phenomenon in ... more Transport of potassium ions across a chloroform membrane to mimic active transport phenomenon in bio-membrane is described. In particular, the relationship between the rate of carrier-facilitated transport of potassium ions through chloroform membrane containing salicyaldoxime as carrier ligand and the potassium ions source phase concentration was investigated. Ten different source phase concentrations were considered using a liquid membrane system based on the Schulman Bridge. It was found that, the transport of the potassium ions across the chloroform membrane did occur and generally the rate of transport of the potassium ions increased with increase source phase concentration within the concentration range covered. A highest transport rate of 9.232x10-7 moles/min was determined at source phase concentration of 0.5M and lowest rate of 3.349x10-7 moles/min at source phase concentration of 0.05M. A plot of the logarithm of the activity of the source phase (conversion based on extend...

Effect of relative humidity on the fiber morphology of polyamide 4.6 and polyamide 6.9 nanofibers

Journal of Materials Science

To obtain uniform and reproducible nanofibres, it is important to understand the effect of the di... more To obtain uniform and reproducible nanofibres, it is important to understand the effect of the different electrospinning parameters on the nanofibre morphology. Even though a lot of literature is available on the electrospinning of nanofibres, only minor research has been performed on the effect of the relative humidity (RH). This paper investigates the influence of this parameter on the electrospinning process and fibre morphology of the hydrophilic polyamide 4.6 and the less hydrophilic polyamide 6.9. First, the electrospinning process and deposition area of the nanofibres is examined at 10, 50 and 70 % RH. Subsequently, the effect of the polyamide concentration and solvent ratio on the fibre morphology is investigated using scanning electron microscopy and differential scanning calorimetry. It was found that the nanofibre diameter decreased with increasing RH. This resulted in less stable crystals for polyamide 4.6 while electrospinning of polyamide 6.9 at higher RH led to slight...

Fluorescent and photosensitiser characteristics of quarternised zinc phthalocyanine functionalised on polystyrene polymer nanofiber

A known quarternised phthalocyanine complex of zinc was synthesised using a reported procedure. I... more A known quarternised phthalocyanine complex of zinc was synthesised using a reported procedure. Its’ properties has been studied in solvent media but not within a solid matrix. Thus in this work the phthalocyanine was then incorporated into polystyrene polymer nanofibers through electrospinning with the view of producing a functionalised phthalocynanine nano-material for wound dressing and gas sensing. The physico-chemical properties of the resulting functionalised nanofibers were assessed upon irradiation with lights. In particular, the photoactivity of the functionalised nanofibers was demonstrated using the iodometric method. It was found that the phthalocyanine was still photoactive even within the solid nanofiber matrix and thus could be applied as photodynamic antibacterial agent. Similarly the phthalocyanine was found to be fluorescent also within the solid nanofibers and a thus promising nanofabric material for gas sensing.

Studies of the spectral characteristics of copper (II) complex of thioctic acid

Black Star Integrated Science for Senior High Schools Student’s Book (Yr 1-4)

Developed by experienced Ghanian science professionals, this course fully satisfies the requireme... more Developed by experienced Ghanian science professionals, this course fully satisfies the requirements of the revised teaching syllabus for Integrated Science at Senior High School level. Important features include: • hands-on activities that engage students in scientific enquiry • content that follows the sequence of the syllabus according to requirements for each year • General objectives listed at the beginning of each section • sections subdivided into smaller comprehensive units to enable students to easily follow each topic • summary and self-assessment review questions at the end of each unit to facilitate easy revision and self-testing by the student • pictures and diagrams that enable students to easily understand difficult concepts • extension information that caters for the more curious and advanced student • information in the Did you know? boxes stimulate students' minds and imaginations • Word tip boxes, giving the meanings of difficult scientific terms, help to embr...

Improving the Quality of Locally Produced Vegetable Oils in Ghana Using Zeolite ZSM-11

Chemical Science International Journal, 2020

The local vegetable oils (Coconut and Palm Kernel Oils) are usually faced with short shelf-life w... more The local vegetable oils (Coconut and Palm Kernel Oils) are usually faced with short shelf-life which has been associated with the presence of some unwanted materials present in them. This study explores the potential of using locally manufactures Zeolites in removing these impurities to improve the shelf life of these oils. The Zeolite used in this study was synthesized using locally available raw materials such as bauxite and kaolin through the hydrothermal process X-ray diffraction studies of the synthesized Zeolite were found to be part of the ZSM-11 Zeolite type group. FTIR analysis of the sample showed a weak vibrational peak at 1642cm-1 and a strong band at 987cm-1. Batch process for the removal of these unwanted materials was performed. Percentage reduction of 85.71%, 89.22%, 89.36% and 83.81% was recorded for impurities, moisture content, free fatty acid and peroxide value reduction in Palm Kernel Oil and 85.71%, 83.33%, 93.26%, 90.57% for Coconut Oil. Kinetic studies showe...

Comparative phototransformation of environmental pollutants using metallophthalocyanines supported on electrospun polymer fibers

Journal of Applied Polymer Science, Aug 9, 2012

The fluorescence and photoactivity of a series of Zn and Lu phthalocyanine complexes incorporated... more The fluorescence and photoactivity of a series of Zn and Lu phthalocyanine complexes incorporated in various polymer fibers were investigated for the phototransformation of 4-chlorophenol, 4-nitrophenol, and methyl orange. The phthalocyanine complexes functionalized on polystyrene and polysulfone polymer fibers could be applied in the degradation of 4-chlorophenol, 4-nitrophenol, and methyl orange with 4-chlorophenol being much more susceptible to degradation while methyl orange was the least. Also polymer fibers of polystyrene were found to be reusable. V

Enzyme-like catalysis using metallophthalocyanines

Quantification of Imipramine, Amitriptyline and their Major Metabolites in Urine Samples of Depressed Patients by Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry

Biotransformation of antidepressant drugs is said to affect their pharmacological profile and sub... more Biotransformation of antidepressant drugs is said to affect their pharmacological profile and subsequently alter their treatment efficacies. Imipramine and amitriptyline are the major drugs used for the management of manic depression at the Ankaful psychiatric hospital in Ghana. Recent reports have shown that some patients stay longer on this therapy than expected, while others do not get well at all. Herein, we report a modified solid phase extraction (SPE) method for the extraction of these antidepressant drugs; imipramine, amitriptyline and their respective metabolites, desipramine and 10-hydroxyamitriptyline from urine samples of five adult manic depressed patients. The compounds were simultaneously analyzed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). The calibration curves were linear over a range of 10-100 µg/L for all the analytes with the square of the regression coefficient (R2) ranging from 0.990 to 0.997. Analyses of the drugs and their respective metabolites over a ...

A highly selective and sensitive pyridylazo-2-naphthol-poly(acrylic acid) functionalized electrospun nanofiber fluorescence “turn-off” chemosensory system for Ni2+

Analytical Methods, 2012

ABSTRACT A fluorescent nanofiber probe for the determination of Ni 2+ was developed via the elect... more ABSTRACT A fluorescent nanofiber probe for the determination of Ni 2+ was developed via the electrospinning of a covalently functionalized pyridylazo-2-naphthol-poly(acrylic acid) polymer. Fluorescent nanofibers with diameters in the range 230–800 nm were produced with uniformly dispersed fluorophores. The excitation and emission fluorescence were at wavelengths 479 and 557 nm respectively, thereby exhibiting a good Stokes&#39; shift. This Ni 2+ probe that employs fluorescence quenching in a solid receptor–fluorophore system exhibited a good correlation between the fluorescence intensity and nickel concentration up to 1.0 mg mL À1 based on the Stern–Volmer mechanism. The probe achieved a detection limit (3d/S) of 0.07 ng mL À1 and a precision, calculated as a relative standard deviation (RSD) of &lt;4% (n ¼ 8). The concentration of Ni 2+ in a certified reference material (SEP-3) was found to be 0.8986 mg mL À1 , which is significantly comparable with the certified value of 0.8980 mg mL À1 . The accuracy of the determinations, expressed as a relative error between the certified and the observed values of certified reference groundwater was #0.1%. The versatility of the nanofiber probe was demonstrated by affording simple, rapid and selective detection of Ni 2+ in the presence of other competing metal ions by direct analysis, without employing any further sample handling steps.

Levels of Mercury, Cadmium, and Zinc in the Topsoil of Some Selected Towns in the Wassa West District of the Western Region of Ghana

Soil and Sediment Contamination, 2010

... 2530 37 7.0 2.3 Takoradi 05 70 5.4 1.8 1015 47 4.9 1.6 2530 23 4.6 1.5 Agona Nkwanta 05 ... more

Photocatalytic degradation of azo reactive dyes with ultraviolet and sunlight irradiated zinc oxide

Dye effluents are among the most persistent sources of pollution of water bodies and aquatic life... more Dye effluents are among the most persistent sources of pollution of water bodies and aquatic life. Notable dyes with known carcinogenic effects at low concentrations include azo reactive dyes. The present investigation is focused on the photocatalytic degradation of representative commercial azo dyes using zinc oxide (ZnO). The findings of this research show that ZnO irradiated with ultraviolet (UV) radiation is more effective at degrading C .I. Reactive Yellow 145, C .I. Reactive Blue 194 and C.I. Reactive Red 194 as compared to the sunlight irradiated ZnO. The crystallinity, surface morphology and band gap energy of the ZnO were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) image and UV-Visible absorption spectroscopy respectively. The ZnO has a hexagonal wurzite structure with a band gap of 3.17 eV. The degradation profile was found to decrease with increasing initial dye concentration. The degradation efficiency of the respective dyes under UV and ...

Kinetics and Equilibrium Thermodynamic Studies of the Adsorption of Phenolphthalein and Methyl Orange onto Muscovite Clay

A batch adsorption method for the removal of methyl orange and phenolphthalein from aqueous media... more A batch adsorption method for the removal of methyl orange and phenolphthalein from aqueous media onto muscovite clay has been assessed and proven to be successful. The adsorption studies were performed at 303, 323 and 343 K. Factors such as temperature and pH were evaluated. Equilibrium adsorption for all the adsorbates was attained after 30 minutes. Investigation of the adsorption isotherm at 303 K using the Langmuir and Freundlich isotherm models showed that the adsorption of both indicators obey the Langmuir isotherm model with monolayer adsorptive capacities of 13.00 and 2.48 mg/g for methyl orange and phenolphthalein, respectively. The pseudo-second-order kinetic model best describes both adsorption processes with R2 > 0.99 and negative activation energies indicating physisorption processes. Assessment of the thermodynamic parameters showed that although the adsorption processes were endothermic (ΔH values of +8.77 kJ/mol and +15.62 kJ/mol for methyl orange and phenolphthal...

Phototransformation of pollutants using lutetium and zinc phthalocyanines anchored on electrospun polymer fibers

This work is dedicated to the glory of God; his amazing grace has led to the production of this w... more This work is dedicated to the glory of God; his amazing grace has led to the production of this work. The work is also dedicated to: My wife Mrs Ernestina L. Zugle My Daughter Miss Rhoda Nuo-ire Zugle My son Mr Rudolf Mwin-tire Zugle iii Acknowledgement It is with heartfelt gratitude that I wish to express my profound appreciation to individuals and groups who have facilitated the production of this piece of work. I first of all thank Professor Tebello Nyokong for accepting me into her research laboratory and also taking on the task of directing the research to its final production.

Photocatalysis using zinc oxide-zinc phthalocyanine composite for effective mineralization of organic pollutants

Catalysis Communications

Comparing the Efficiencies of the Removal of Cadmium from Industrial Wastewater Using Zeolites

International Research Journal of Pure and Applied Chemistry, Apr 10, 2020

The presence of heavy metals in industrial wastewater needed to be removed in other to control po... more The presence of heavy metals in industrial wastewater needed to be removed in other to control pollution which has been caused as a result of human and industrial activities. Several adsorbents have been used for the remediation process but with this particular research work, Zeolites were used. They were synthesized hydrothermally from various locally available raw materials namely rice husk, corn stalk, corn husk, and kaolin. They were characterized using their FTIR to determine the functional groups on the material synthesized and also their adsorptive activities were compared with industrially synthesized Zeolite X. A very strong peak at 1052 cm-1 is as a result of the asymmetric vibrations of the internal TO tetrahedron with a weak symmetric TO stretching vibration recorded at 797 cm-1. Another strong peak was observed at 445 cm-1 as a result of the O-TO bending vibration which confirms the presence of a five-membered structure. The adsorptive properties of the synthesized Zeolites were evaluated by using them to remove Cadmium ions from solution and their percentage removals were determined. Similarly, their adsorption kinetics were also determined and was observed the R 2 values to be 0.9093 and 0.9454 for Corn husk and Cornstalk for the first order and the second order with R 2 values of 1 for rice husk, kaolin and corn stalk.

Theoretical Study of Terminal Vanadium(V) Chalcogenido Complexes Bearing Chlorido and Methoxido Ligands

Journal of Chemistry, 2017

Solvent (methanol) coordinated vanadium(V) chalcogenido complexes bearing chlorido and methoxido ... more Solvent (methanol) coordinated vanadium(V) chalcogenido complexes bearing chlorido and methoxido ligands have been studied computationally by means of density functional (DFT) methods. The gas phase complexes were fully optimized using B3LYP/GEN functionals with 6-31+G * * and LANL2DZ basis sets. The optimized complexes show distorted octahedral geometries around the central vanadium atom. The ligand p-vanadium d interactions were analyzed by natural bond order (NBO) and natural population analyses (NPA). These results show strong stabilization of the V=O bond as was further confirmed by the analyses of the frontier molecular orbitals (FMOs). Second-order perturbation analyses also revealed substantial delocalization of lone pair electrons from the oxido ligand into vacant non-Lewis (Rydberg) orbitals as compared to the sulfido and seleno analogues. These results show significant ligand-to-metal charge transfer (LMCT) interactions. Full interaction map (FIM) of the reference complex confirms hydrogen bond interactions involving the methanol (O-H) and the chlorido ligand.

Electronic Spectra of ortho-Substituted Phenols: An Experimental and DFT Study

Journal of Spectroscopy, Oct 9, 2018

e electronic spectra of phenol, 2-chlorophenol, 2-aminophenol, and 2-nitrophenol have been studie... more e electronic spectra of phenol, 2-chlorophenol, 2-aminophenol, and 2-nitrophenol have been studied both experimentally and computationally. e effect of the substituents on the solvatochromic behavior of the phenols were investigated in polar protic (methanol) and aprotic (dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO)) solvents. e spectra of 2-nitrophenol recorded the highest red shift in methanol. e observed spectral changes were investigated computationally by means of density functional theory (DFT) methods. e gas phase compounds were fully optimized using B3LYP functionals with 6-31++G(d,p) bases set. e effects of the substituents on the electron distribution in the σ-bonds as well as the natural charge on the constituent atoms were analyzed by natural bond orbital (NBO) and natural population analysis (NPA). Second-order perturbation analyses also revealed substantial delocalization of nonbonding electrons on the substituents onto the phenyl ring, thereby increasing its electron density. Full interaction map (FIM) also showed regions of varying propensities for hydrogen and halogen bonding interactions on the phenols.

Improving the Quality of Locally Produced Vegetable Oils in Ghana Using Zeolite ZSM-11

Chemical Science International Journal, 2020

The local vegetable oils (Coconut and Palm Kernel Oils) are usually faced with short shelf-life w... more The local vegetable oils (Coconut and Palm Kernel Oils) are usually faced with short shelf-life which has been associated with the presence of some unwanted materials present in them. This study explores the potential of using locally manufactured Zeolites in removing these impurities to improve the shelf life of these oils. The Zeolite used in this study was synthesized using locally available raw materials such as bauxite and kaolin through the hydrothermal process. X-ray diffraction studies of the synthesized Zeolite were found to be part of the ZSM-11 Zeolite type group. FTIR analysis of the sample showed a weak vibrational peak at 1642cm-1 and a strong band at 987cm-1. Batch process for the removal of these unwanted materials was performed. Percentage reduction of 85.71%, 89.22%, 89.36% and 83.81% was recorded for impurities, moisture content, free fatty acid and peroxide value reduction in Palm Kernel Oil and 85.71%, 83.33%, 93.26%, 90.57% for Coconut Oil. Kinetic studies show...

Changes in the Spectral Features of Zinc Phthalocyanine Induced by Nitrogen Dioxide Gas in Solution and in Solid Polymer Nanofiber Media

Journal of Fluorescence

The changes in the spectral features of zinc phthalocyanine in the visible domain as a result of ... more The changes in the spectral features of zinc phthalocyanine in the visible domain as a result of its interaction with nitrogen dioxide gas were assessed in this work. This was done both in solution and when the phthalocyanine was incorporated into a solid polystyrene polymer nanofiber matrix. The spectral changes were found to be spontaneous and marked in both cases suggesting a rapid response criterion for the detection of the gas. In particular, the functionalised nano-fabric material could serve as a practical fire alarm system as it rapidly detects the nitrogen dioxide gas generated during burning.

Carrier-facilitated transport of potassium ions across chloroform membrane

Transport of potassium ions across a chloroform membrane to mimic active transport phenomenon in ... more Transport of potassium ions across a chloroform membrane to mimic active transport phenomenon in bio-membrane is described. In particular, the relationship between the rate of carrier-facilitated transport of potassium ions through chloroform membrane containing salicyaldoxime as carrier ligand and the potassium ions source phase concentration was investigated. Ten different source phase concentrations were considered using a liquid membrane system based on the Schulman Bridge. It was found that, the transport of the potassium ions across the chloroform membrane did occur and generally the rate of transport of the potassium ions increased with increase source phase concentration within the concentration range covered. A highest transport rate of 9.232x10-7 moles/min was determined at source phase concentration of 0.5M and lowest rate of 3.349x10-7 moles/min at source phase concentration of 0.05M. A plot of the logarithm of the activity of the source phase (conversion based on extend...

Effect of relative humidity on the fiber morphology of polyamide 4.6 and polyamide 6.9 nanofibers

Journal of Materials Science

To obtain uniform and reproducible nanofibres, it is important to understand the effect of the di... more To obtain uniform and reproducible nanofibres, it is important to understand the effect of the different electrospinning parameters on the nanofibre morphology. Even though a lot of literature is available on the electrospinning of nanofibres, only minor research has been performed on the effect of the relative humidity (RH). This paper investigates the influence of this parameter on the electrospinning process and fibre morphology of the hydrophilic polyamide 4.6 and the less hydrophilic polyamide 6.9. First, the electrospinning process and deposition area of the nanofibres is examined at 10, 50 and 70 % RH. Subsequently, the effect of the polyamide concentration and solvent ratio on the fibre morphology is investigated using scanning electron microscopy and differential scanning calorimetry. It was found that the nanofibre diameter decreased with increasing RH. This resulted in less stable crystals for polyamide 4.6 while electrospinning of polyamide 6.9 at higher RH led to slight...

Fluorescent and photosensitiser characteristics of quarternised zinc phthalocyanine functionalised on polystyrene polymer nanofiber

A known quarternised phthalocyanine complex of zinc was synthesised using a reported procedure. I... more A known quarternised phthalocyanine complex of zinc was synthesised using a reported procedure. Its’ properties has been studied in solvent media but not within a solid matrix. Thus in this work the phthalocyanine was then incorporated into polystyrene polymer nanofibers through electrospinning with the view of producing a functionalised phthalocynanine nano-material for wound dressing and gas sensing. The physico-chemical properties of the resulting functionalised nanofibers were assessed upon irradiation with lights. In particular, the photoactivity of the functionalised nanofibers was demonstrated using the iodometric method. It was found that the phthalocyanine was still photoactive even within the solid nanofiber matrix and thus could be applied as photodynamic antibacterial agent. Similarly the phthalocyanine was found to be fluorescent also within the solid nanofibers and a thus promising nanofabric material for gas sensing.

Studies of the spectral characteristics of copper (II) complex of thioctic acid

Black Star Integrated Science for Senior High Schools Student’s Book (Yr 1-4)

Developed by experienced Ghanian science professionals, this course fully satisfies the requireme... more Developed by experienced Ghanian science professionals, this course fully satisfies the requirements of the revised teaching syllabus for Integrated Science at Senior High School level. Important features include: • hands-on activities that engage students in scientific enquiry • content that follows the sequence of the syllabus according to requirements for each year • General objectives listed at the beginning of each section • sections subdivided into smaller comprehensive units to enable students to easily follow each topic • summary and self-assessment review questions at the end of each unit to facilitate easy revision and self-testing by the student • pictures and diagrams that enable students to easily understand difficult concepts • extension information that caters for the more curious and advanced student • information in the Did you know? boxes stimulate students' minds and imaginations • Word tip boxes, giving the meanings of difficult scientific terms, help to embr...