Day 1 :
Keynote Forum
Shiao-Wei Kuo
National Sun Yat-Sen University, Taiwan
Keynote: From self-assembly structures to mesoporous materials templated by block copolymers
Time : 10:00 - 10:45
Biography:
Shiao-Wei Kuo is a Professor in the Department of Materials and Optoelectronic Science at National Sun Yat-Sen University, Taiwan. He has received his PhD in Applied Chemistry from National Chiao-Tung University, Taiwan. After some years of Post-doctoral research work there and in the University of Akron, USA, he joined National Sun Yat-Sen University as a Faculty Member. Now, he is also the Coordinator of Polymer Science and Engineering Program, Ministry of Science and Technology in Taiwan, RSC Fellow, Associate Editor in Journal of Polymer Research, and several Editorial Board Members in journals. His research interests include polymers, supramolecules, self-assembly nanostructures, mesoporous materials, POSS nanocomposites, low surface free energy materials, and polypeptides. He has published over 300 SCI papers and several book and book chapters. His total ciatition is >10000 and H-index is 53.
Abstract:
We have utilized several unique amphiphilic block copolymers as templates to successfully fabricate a series of mesoporous materials, for example, mesoporous silicas, mesoporous phenolic resins and mesoporous carbons by a convenient EISA method. In addition, we expended the research method to the many block copolymer systems, especially for the unusual ABC type triblock copolymers, we obtained the hierarchical mesostructure by single template. These specific mesostructures could be observed easily by small angle X-ray scattering (SAXS), transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and isotherm N2 experiment. Moreover, blending technique could also be used in the templating process during EISA; the clear method could easily control the morphology and pore size of the mesoporous materials.
Keynote Forum
Yehya Elsayed
American University of Sharjah, UAE
Keynote: Production of highly porous activated carbon fi bers for organic compounds removal from produced water
Time : 10:45 - 11:30
Biography:
Yehya Elsayed is an Associate Professor of Chemistry at the American University of Sharjah (AUS). In 2006, he received his PhD in Chemistry from the Graduate Center at the City University of New York. Immediately after graduation, he joined Donaldson Company as a Senior Scientist where he was responsible for the development of new filtration technologies for environmental, industrial and medical applications. He joined AUS in 2009. His recent work is focused on the development of new adsorbents using local raw and waste materials. Moreover, he is involved in the chemical identification and health assessment of harmful compounds in the smoke generated from hookah, midwakh, and Arabian incense. In 2015, he received a joint grant from General. Electric directed toward dust profiling and analysis near GCC airports. He has co-authorship of several patent applications, peer-reviewed journal articles, and conference proceedings.
Abstract:
Due to rapid urbanization, climate change, industrial activities, and improper managements, access to clean water is threatened with time. Phenols are classified to be one of the most hazardous pollutants found in industrial wastewater that contributes significantly to water pollution. Activated carbon fibers (ACFs) of high surface area are developed from Polyacrylonitrile (PAN) and compared with other granular activated carbon materials. The PAN fibers were stabilized initially followed by carbonization either by physical (carbon dioxide) or chemical (potassium hydroxide) activation. The stabilization, carbonization and activation conditions such as flow rate, temperature, time and dosages were optimized. The synthesized ACFs as well as the intermediate materials were characterized using Scanning Electron Microscopy(SEM), Energy-DispersiveX-raySpectroscopy(EDS),Thermogravimetric Analysis (TGA) and Carbon, Hydrogen, Nitrogen and Sulphur content (CHNS) methods. The synthesized ACFs with highest surface area as well as commercial ACFs (C-ACFs) were evaluated for p-cresol removal from water and later applied for produced water treatment. The results showed that ACF, produced by chemical activation (Syn-ACF) using 3:1 by weight KOH: carbonized fiber produced, have very high surface area (2885 m2/g) compared to the ones produced by physical activation (774 m2 /g) and exceed by far those reported in the literature using KOH. The adsorption study on Syn-ACF gave a higher removal efficiency of 90.0% of p-cresol in comparison with 71.6% using commercial C-ACFs at challenge concentration of 350 ppm. In addition, the adsorption isotherms of p-cresol on C-ACFs and Syn-ACFs were measured and found to fit well using Langmuir isotherm; however, Syn-AFCs revealed higher Qmax=500 mg/g compared to C-ACFs Qmax=294 mg/g at 25°C. Regeneration of the contaminated Syn-ACFs with p-cresol was done using two methods: thermally at 600°C and chemically with n-Hexane achieving removal efficiency of 84% and 78%, respectively. The adsorption study using the Syn-ACFs was completed using produced water to ensure a removal of 71.2%.
- Biopolymers and Biomaterials | Nanopolymers and Nanotechnology | Pol- lution Control Technologies and Devices
Location: Rembrandt 1
Chair
Shiao-Wei Kuo
National Sun Yat-Sen University, Taiwan
Co-Chair
Yehya El Sayed
American University of Sharjah, UAE
Session Introduction
Mohammed B Alshammari
Prince Sattam Bin Abdulaziz University, Saudi Arabia
Title: Comparison of cyclic and polymeric disulfi des as catalysts for the regioselective chlorination of phenols
Biography:
Mohammed B Alshammari is an Assistant Professor in Organic Chemistry at the Department of Chemistry College of Science & Humanities in the Prince Sattam Bin Abdulaziz University.He obtained both his bachelor and master’s degree in Chemistry from the King Saud University.He have done his PhD in Orgranic Chemistry from the Cardiff University. He is a member of the Member of Saudi Chemical Society.
Abstract:
Isomerically purechlorinated phenols are valuable materials as intermediates for industrial and pharmaceutical chemicals.They are also the primary active ingredients in a range of household and commercial disinfectants. But concerns have increased about the toxic nature and environmental accumulation of some chlorinated phenolic compounds and their potential by-products.Therefore, it is important to develop chlorination catalysts capable of minimizing undesirable waste products.We have previously investigated the use of simple organic sulfi des for the catalytic chlorination reaction of phenols using sulfuryl chloride.Unfortunately, volatile examples of such materials are undesirable on an industrial scale because of their odors.The problem of the volatility of such sulfides was mitigated by the use of substituted Merrifi eld resins and dithiaalkanes, but neither of these reagent types is likely to be useful commercially. Now we report that, two cyclic and two polymeric disulfi des have been synthesized and established to be useful catalysts for the chlorination of m-xylenol, o-cresol, m-cresol and phenol using freshly distilled sulfuryl chloride in the presence of aluminum or ferric chloride as a co-catalyst at room temperature.The yields of para-isomers and para/ortho ratios were higher compared to cases where no catalyst was used with most catalysts for most phenols even when a very low concentration of disulfide was used.
Abie Cythia Besem
Ajemalebu Self Help (AJESH) Cameroon
Title: The role of journalism and mass communication in pollution control in West Africa (Cameroon)
Time : 12:15 to 12:45
Biography:
Abstract:
Africa is one of the continents in the world that is blessed with biodiversity.It houses a lot of wildlife and other natural resources. Almost 85% ofthe population in Africa depends on the natural resources like plants, water,and animals for feeding, shelter, medicine and as well an income to help cater and educate their families. But sadly many of these activities have resulted to serious environmental pollutions due to lack of recycling facilities. Cameroon is also one of the countries in Africa heavily affected by land, air and water pollution. Water pollution results when houses and industrial wastes are been dumped into the river. Also when erosion occurs agricultural waste like fertilizers are carried by rain into nearby streams and rivers thereby polluting the water supply and causing the water to become poisonous for human consumption and a dead trap for the Aquatics inhabitants(fishes and reptiles).Land pollution is caused by continuous improper disposal of household waste on a piece of land, which can pose serious health problems to the surrounding population. Air pollution is caused when high quantities of poisonous gases and substance from industries or automobiles are being emitted into the atmosphere which can results to hazardous health issues such as respiratory infections and diseases .Awareness is one of the key ways to preventing pollution, educating children, students, and the communities at large is a giant step in fi ght pollution in an area. For knowing is believing, and believing is practicing. We can only prevent the danger we know of from happening. Let’s create pollution Awareness.
Fathy Hassan
Tanta University, Egypt
Title: Development of atropisomeric azo-binaphthyl polymers for light-driven molecular switches
Time : 12:45 to 13:15
Biography:
Abstract:
Irum Zahara
University of Alberta, Canada
Title: Low cost bio-sorbents for simultaneous removal of various contaminants from wastewaters produced during energy generation processes
Time : 14:15- 14:45
Biography:
Abstract:
Mojtaba taseidifar
University of New South Wales, Australia
Title: Environmental applications of a biodegradable surfactant
Time : 14:45 to 15:15
Biography:
Abstract:
We have developed a novel synthesis method for the efficient production of a useful, biodegradable surfactant obtained using a novel and efficient chemical reaction between cysteine (a thiol-based amino acid) and an octanoyl compound. The synthesized surfactant is effective over a wide pH range and can be decomposed in natural products. The surfactant has a high affinity to remove various heavy metal ions including Hg (II), Pb (II), As (III), Cd (II) and Cr (VI) in drinking water and so these ions can be removed using a typical ion flotation process. Other ions like strontium (Sr) and lanthanum (La) also can be removed in aqueous solutions using this surfactant in a continuous air-bubbling flow. The compound might also be useful for the release of pre fluorinated alkylated substances (PFAS) present as contaminants in soil and ground waters, as these compounds mostly bind on active components on the soil via bridging multi-valent cations, which the surfactant has a high ability to encapsulate. The action of this chelating surfactant to help with the release of PFAS compounds could be facilitated using a fluidized bed, via air bubbling, which could form the basis for an efficient foam fractionation process to remove PFAS contaminants. The synthesized surfactant was also characterized with elemental analysis, mass spectroscopy, FT-IR, melting point (MP) and critical micelle concentration (CMC) fractionation.
Ali Dehshahri
Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Iran
Title: Targeted delivery of interleukin-12 plasmid by a double domain nanoplex based on galactosylated polyethylenimine
Time : 15:15 - 15:45
Biography:
Ali Dehshahri has completed his PhD at Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Iran. He is working as an Associate Professor at Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, since 2010. He has published more than 30 papers in reputed journals (H-Index=13) and has been serving as the Head of the Department of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology at Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Iran.
Abstract:
In this investigation, a galactosylated derivative of polyethylenimine(PEI) was prepared based on the attachment of two PEI molecules to separate the delivery and targeting motifs. Galactosylated low molecular weight PEI (LMW PEI) was coupled to a high molecular weight PEI (HMW PEI) through a succinic acid linker in order to restore the amine content of the whole conjugate used for ligand conjugation. The PEI conjugate showed substantial plasmid DNA condensation ability and buffering capacity. The size of PEI based nanoparticles was around 75 nm. The level of transgene expression increased by up to four folds in the cell line over-expressing asialoglycoprotein receptors (ASGPR). The results demonstrated that the separation of delivery and targeting motifs could be considered as a route to restore the amine content of the PEI molecule utilized for targeting ligand conjugation.