Polyamide nanofiber membranes functionalized with zinc phthalocyanines
- Authors: Goethals, Annelies , Mugadza, Tawanda , Arslanoglu, Yasin , Zugle, Ruphino , Antunes, Edith M , Van Hulle, Stijn W , Nyokong, Tebello , De Clerck, Karen
- Date: 2014
- Subjects: To be catalogued
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/241505 , vital:50945 , xlink:href="https://doi.org/10.1002/app.40486"
- Description: Electrospinning is an efficient method for the production of polyamide nanofiber membranes that are suitable for water filtration. Previous studies have shown that nanofiber membranes have high clean water permeability. The pathogen removal efficiency can be improved by functionalization with (organic) biocides. However, these membranes, like other membranes, are vulnerable to fouling which reduces the filtration efficiency. Therefore the present article investigates the potential of zinc phthalocyanines, which can produce singlet oxygen in the presence of visible light, as a functionalizing agent. The polyamide nanofiber membranes were functionalized with phthalocyanines using both a pre-functionalizing and post-functionalizing method. Only the post-functionalization method shows to result in nanofiber membranes capable of producing singlet oxygen. After 30 min 45% of 1,2-diphenylisobenzofuran (DPBF), used as an oxygen quencher, was removed by reaction with singlet oxygen. This resulted in a removal rate of 0.33 mol DBPF mol−1Zn min−1. During short term leaching tests, phthalocyanines could not be detected.
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- Date Issued: 2014
Comparative phototransformation of environmental pollutants using metallophthalocyanines supported on electrospun polymer fibers
- Authors: Zugle, Ruphino , Nyokong, Tebello
- Date: 2013
- Subjects: To be catalogued
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/190509 , vital:45001 , xlink:href="https://doi.org/10.1002/app.38381"
- Description: 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.
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- Date Issued: 2013
Effect of the relative humidity on the fibre morphology of polyamide 4.6 and polyamide 6.9 nanofibres
- Authors: De Schoenmaker, Bert , Van de Schueren, Lien , Zugle, Ruphino , Goethals, Annelies , Westbroek, Philippe , Kiekens, Paul , Nyokong, Tebello , De Clerck, Karen
- Date: 2013
- Subjects: To be catalogued
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/242131 , vital:51004 , xlink:href="https://doi.org/10.1007/s10853-012-6934-9"
- Description: 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 slightly more stable crystals. In conclusion, the water affinity of a polymer is an important factor in predicting the nanofibre morphology at different humidities.
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- Date Issued: 2013
Phototransformation of pollutants using lutetium and zinc phthalocyanines anchored on electrospun polymer fibers
- Authors: Zugle, Ruphino
- Date: 2013
- Subjects: Electrospinning Phthalocyanines Lutetium Zinc Polymers Dysprosium Pollutants Air Pollution Photochemistry
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Doctoral , PhD
- Identifier: vital:4286 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1002962
- Description: Novel lanthanide phthalocyanines containing dysprosium, erbium and lutetium as central metals were synthesized using phthalonitrile:metal salt ratio of 4:1 or lower phthalonitrile content as well as using unmetallated phthalocyanine. They were characterized using various spectroscopic and elemental analyses. Dysprosium bis-phthalocyanine was obtained while monomers were obtained for erbium and lutetium phthalocyanines. Theopen-shelldysprosiumbis-phthalocyanine and the monomeric complex of the open-shell erbium were neither fluorescent nor showed the ability to generate singlet oxygen. The triplet states of all the lutetium phthalocyanines were found to be populated with high triplet quantum yields and corresponding high singlet oxygen quantum yields. The fluorescence quantum yields of the lutetium phthalocyanines were however found to be very low. The lutetium phthalocyanines together with unsubstituted zinc phthalocyanine and its derivatives were successfully incorporated into electrospun polymer fibers either by covalent linkage or sorption forces. Spectral characteristics of the functionalized electrospun polymer fibers indicated that the phthalocyanines were bound and their integrity maintained within the fiber matrices. Most importantly the fluorescence and photoactivity of the phthalocyanines were equally maintained within the electrospun fibers. The functionalized electrospun polymer fibers especially those containing the zinc phthalocyanines could qualitatively detect nitrogen dioxide, a known environmental air pollutant. Also all the functionalized electrospun polystyrene and polysulfone fibers containing lutetium and zinc phthalocyanines could be applied for the photoconversion of 4-chlorophenol, 4-nitrophenol and methyl orange. Those of polystyrene could be re-used. Polyacrylic acid and polyurethane functionalized electrospun fibers were found not to be suitable for photocatalytic applications in aqueous medium. 4-Chlorophenol was found to be more susceptible to photodegradation while methyl orange very difficult to degrade.
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- Date Issued: 2013
Zinc (II) 2, 9, 16, 23-tetrakis [4-(N-methylpyridyloxy)]-phthalocyanine anchored on an electrospun polysulfone polymer fiber: Application for photosensitized conversion of methyl orange
- Authors: Zugle, Ruphino , Nyokong, Tebello
- Date: 2013
- Subjects: To be catalogued
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/232741 , vital:50020 , xlink:href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.molcata.2012.10.001"
- Description: In this work, a comparative study of photodegradation of methyl orange, an azo dye, in homogeneous aqueous solution of a quarternized cationic zinc phthalocyanine and a heterogeneous catalytic system based on the same phthalocyanine anchored on polysulfone polymer fiber is presented. In both cases, conversion involved the azo bond of the dye with no detectable opening up of the aromatic benzene rings. The reaction kinetics in both cases were consistent with first order with the conversion occurring in the homogeneous system being faster than when the functionalized polymer fiber was used. The reaction products consisted of a coupling product as well as a series of oligopolymeric products.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2013
A highly selective and sensitive pyridylazo-2-naphthol-poly (acrylic acid) functionalized electrospun nanofiber fluorescence “turn-off” chemosensory system for Ni 2+
- Authors: Adewuyi, Sheriff , Ondigo, Dezzline A , Zugle, Ruphino , Tshentu, Zenixole R , Nyokong, Tebello , Torto, Nelson
- Date: 2012
- Subjects: To be catalogued
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/246012 , vital:51428 , xlink:href="https://doi.org/10.1039/C2AY25182E"
- Description: A fluorescent nanofiber probe for the determination of Ni2+ 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' shift. This Ni2+ 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 μg mL−1 based on the Stern–Volmer mechanism. The probe achieved a detection limit (3δ/S) of 0.07 ng mL−1 and a precision, calculated as a relative standard deviation (RSD) of more than 4% (n = 8). The concentration of Ni2+ in a certified reference material (SEP-3) was found to be 0.8986 μg mL−1, which is significantly comparable with the certified value of 0.8980 μg mL−1. 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 Ni2+ in the presence of other competing metal ions by direct analysis, without employing any further sample handling steps.
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- Date Issued: 2012
Electrospun polyacrylic acid polymer fibers functionalized with metallophthalocyanines for photosensitizing and gas sensing applications
- Authors: Zugle, Ruphino , Nyokong, Tebello
- Date: 2012
- Subjects: To be catalogued
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/243543 , vital:51162 , xlink:href="https://doi.org/10.1080/10601325.2012.662006"
- Description: The photophysical and photochemical properties of tetraaminophthalocyanine complexes of lutetium and zinc covalently linked to polyacrylic acid were studied alongside those of unsubstituted zinc phthalocyanine within the same polymeric fiber matrix. All three phthalocyanines within the solid fiber matrices showed photoactivity by the generation of singlet oxygen as was observed in solution. The fluorescence behaviors of the composite fibers equally parallel those in solution. For the unsubstituted zinc phthalocyanine composite, the fiber showed fluorescence quenching on interaction with gaseous nitrogen dioxide similar to that in DMF and, thus could be a promising nanofabric material in developing optoelectronic devices that are responsive to the gas.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2012
Photooxidation of 4-chlorophenol sensitized by lutetium tetraphenoxy phthalocyanine anchored on electrospun polystyrene polymer fiber
- Authors: Zugle, Ruphino , Antunes, Edith M , Khene, Samson M , Nyokong, Tebello
- Date: 2012
- Subjects: To be catalogued
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/245787 , vital:51405 , xlink:href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.poly.2011.11.005"
- Description: An electrospun polystyrene (PS) fiber incorporating tetraphenoxy phthalocyanine complex of lutetium (LuTPPc/PS) as a photosensitizer was applied for the degradation of 4-chlorophenol in aqueous solution in the presence of visible light. The photocatalytic activity of the LuTPPc in the fiber was compared to that of zinc phthalocyanine (ZnPc) incorporated into the PS fiber, and the former showed higher activity. UV–Vis spectral changes of sample solutions indicated transformation of the analyte with first order kinetics and half-lives that are within one and half hours for LuTPPc/PS. Products identified from the spectral changes and gas chromatography were benzoquinone, hydroquinone and 4,4′-dihydroxydiphenol suggesting that the photodegradation of 4-chlorophenol was through both Types I and II mechanisms.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2012
Physico-chemical properties of lutetium phthalocyanine complexes in solution and in solid polystyrene polymer fibers and their application in photoconversion of 4-nitrophenol
- Authors: Zugle, Ruphino , Nyokong, Tebello
- Date: 2012
- Subjects: To be catalogued
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/243520 , vital:51160 , xlink:href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.molcata.2012.02.010"
- Description: The photophysical and photochemical behavior of two phthalocyanine complexes of lutetium peripherally substituted with tetraphenoxy and tetra-2-pyridiloxy groups were studied in solution and when dispersed in polystyrene polymer fiber. The phthalocyanines were found not to fluoresce significantly in solution and not at all within the fiber matrix as compared with standard unsubstituted zinc phthalocyanine. They showed very promising photoactivity in solution with high singlet oxygen quantum yields. Their photoactivity within the polymer fiber matrix was also demonstrated with the photoconversion of 4-nitrophenol, a water pollutant. The photodegradation process with both phthalocyanines follows first order kinetics similar to that observed for the zinc phthalocyanine and the photo-products were found to be hydroquinone, benzoquinone and 4-nitrocatechol.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2012
Photophysical and photochemical behavior of electrospun fibers of a polyurethane polymer chemically linked to lutetium carboxyphenoxy phthalocyanine
- Authors: Zugle, Ruphino , Litwinski, Christian , Torto, Nelson , Nyokong, Tebello
- Date: 2011
- Subjects: To be catalogued
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/248428 , vital:51685 , xlink:href="https://doi.org/10.1039/C1NJ20126C"
- Description: A phthalocyanine complex of lutetium substituted with four peripherally substituted 4-carboxyphenoxy groups was synthesized using cyclotetramerisation reaction. Its structure was elucidated using conventional spectroscopic methods and elemental analysis. The spectral behavior of the complex was studied in DMF solution and in a solid polyurethane fiber matrix. The UV-Visible spectrum showed a red shift in its Q-band maximum absorption within the fiber as compared to that in solution. The triplet quantum yield in DMF was determined to be 0.51 with a lifetime of 2.7 μs and a singlet oxygen quantum yield of 0.33 with a lifetime of 19.85 μs in the same solvent. The functionalized phthalocyanine fiber could be a promising fabric material for applications such as self-disinfecting in wound dressing. A method based on the conversion of ADMA was used to estimate the singlet oxygen quantum yield of the Pc in the hybrid fiber. An estimated singlet oxygen quantum yield value of 0.11 in aqueous medium was obtained. The fluorescence quantum yield of the Pc was found to be 0.01 with a lifetime of 3.20 ns in DMF.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2011
Photophysical characterization of dysprosium, erbium and lutetium phthalocyanines tetrasubstituted with phenoxy groups at non-peripheral positions
- Authors: Zugle, Ruphino , Litwinski, Christian , Nyokong, Tebello
- Date: 2011
- Subjects: To be catalogued
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/247561 , vital:51595 , xlink:href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.poly.2011.03.030"
- Description: Dysprosium bis-phthalocyanine and monomeric phthalocyanines of erbium and lutetium with non-peripheral phenoxy substituents have been synthesized using two different preparative routes. Photophysical studies on these phthalocyanines revealed that the triplet states of dysprosium and erbium are not populated while the monomeric phthalocyanine complex of lutetium is populated with a quantum yield of 0.83 and a lifetime of 25 μs in DMSO. It was further found that the phthalocyanine complex of lutetium was capable of photochemical generation of singlet state molecular oxygen with yield of 0.71 in THF, thus a promising photosensitizer. However, the three phthalocyanine molecules have very low fluorescence quantum yields of less than 0.01.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2011