---

Research subject: In this study, EDTA-functionalized Fe₃O₄@SiO₂ magnetic nanocomposites with core-shell structure were synthesized to remove divalent cadmium ions from aqueous solutions.
Research approach: During the first step, Fe₃O₄@SiO₂ nanosphere core-shell is synthesized using nano Fe₃O₄ as the core, TEOS as the silica source and PVA as the surfactant. This strategy relies on the covalently bonding of ethylendiaminetetraacetic acid to bis(3-aminopropyl)amine and cyanuric chloride functionalized magnetic nanoparticles. In the next step, characteristics of surface functional groups, crystal structure, magnetic properties, size and surface morphology of these nanoparticles were investigated, identified and analyzed using physico-chemical characterization techniques including fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), X-ray diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM), dynamic light scattering (DLS), vibration sample magnetometry (VSM) and Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET) surface area analyzer.  The adsorbent, due to its magnetic property, could be simply separated from the reaction mixture by a permanent magnet and reused in five consecutive cycles without considerable loss in its activity.
Main results: To probe the nature of the adsorbent, various experiments were investigated like adsorbent dose and contact time were optimized. Kinetic studies and the effect of different amounts of adsorbent to remove divalent cadmium ions from aqueous solutions show a maximum adsorption of 94% at ambient temperature. Moreover, the recyclability of Fe₃O₄@SiO₂-EDTA was investigated in order to remove the divalent cation for successive adsorption-desorption cycles. All the results of studies show that the synthetic nanocomposite Fe₃O₄@SiO₂-EDTA is an effective, recyclable adsorbent with excellent performance for the removal of divalent cadmium.

---

---

Contamination of water and soil with heavy metals poses serious risks and threats to human health and the environment, and therefore finding an effective solution to remove these metals is very necessary. In this research, magnetic nanoparticles MnFe₂O₄ @ SiO₂ functionalized with N-phosphonomethyl aminodiacetic acid with core-shell structure were synthesized. These nanoparticles were characterized by scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy, (TGA) thermal gravimetric analysis, transmission electron microscope (TEM), and (VSM) vibration sample magnetometer. The performance of this synthetic nanoadsorbent for removing Cr (VI), Cu (II) ions from aqueous solutions was evaluated by various parameters such as adsorbent amount, contact time effect on adsorption rate and pH effect. The results show that the adsorption efficiency increases with raising pH (2.5-5) and the best adsorbent performance in the adsorption process of Cr ((VI) and Cu (II) ions at pH 7 was observed. The amount of R in the Freundlich adsorption diagram of copper ion is higher than the Langmuir isotherm. As a result, the adsorption of copper ions on the adsorbent follows the Freundlich adsorption equation. In addition, the amount of R in the Freundlich adsorption diagram for chromium ion is higher than the Langmuir isotherm. Therefore, the absorption of chromium ions on the adsorbent follows the Freundlich adsorption equation. In conclusion, a high n value indicates a favorable and effective absorption in the Freundlich equation. The adsorption data were analyzed by the Langmuir and Freundlich isotherm model. In addition, the recyclability and reuse of the adsorbent was investigated. The results show that no significant reduction in adsorbent activity is observed.
 

---

Aim: The removal of heavy metals from drinking water is one of the highest impact challenges in the water and wastewater industry. For this purpose, the use of methods such as solid phase extraction followed by the use of selective adsorbents is considered as one of the most important issues in the water and wastewater industry.
Method: In this research, in order to remove the polluting and toxic heavy metal cadmium from water in the water treatment industry, Fe₃O₄ nanoparticles with a diameter of 10 nm have been synthesized. In order to make these nanoparticles resistant to corrosion and erosive factors of the environment, they are covered with a silica shell and afterwards with the aim of removing cadmium ions from aqueous solutions, the surface of Fe₃O₄@SiO₂ nanoparticles is modified with 1,4-dihydroxyanthraquinone molecules. The synthesized nanoparticles are characterized in order to evaluate the efficiency of these nanoparticles in separating cadmium ions soluble in water has.
Results: The synthesized and functionalized magnetic nanoparticles have an effective surface area of 378 m²/g with black color and spherical morphology. The effects of the parameters of the amount of nano adsorbent, pH of the solution, various concentrations of the solution and test time in the removal of divalent cadmium ions are investigated. According to the experimental data, the optimal values for the absorption process at pH 7 by using 18 mg of adsorbent in 50 ml of cadmium solution with an initial concentration of 0.35 mmol/L lead to the removal of cadmium ions with a maximum absorption of 92% at ambient temperature in a period of 35 minutes. Moreover, the recyclability and reusability of Fe₃O₄@SiO₂-DAQ in the adsorption-desorption process of cadmium ion is investigated using a magnetic magnet, and the results confirm that this synthetic nanocomposite is an effective adsorbent with excellent performance in order to remove divalent cadmium ion from aqueous solutions.
 

---

Research subject: The presence of heavy metal ions in surface and underground water, followed by their infiltration into drinking water at high concentrations, poses irreparable risks to human health and the environment. In this context, solid-phase extraction (SPE) has recently been recognized as a routine and practical method for removing heavy metals from water and wastewater samples. Consequently, the development of selective adsorbents for application in the SPE method is of significant importance in environmental studies.
Research Approach: In the present study, polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) molecules were functionalized onto Fe₃O₄@SiO₂ core-shell nanoparticles using cyanuric chloride and triethoxysilyl propylamine compounds. The synthesized nanoparticles were then employed as an effective adsorbent for the removal of Pb²⁺ ions from aqueous solutions. The structural characteristics, morphology, and particle size were analyzed using Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX), X-ray diffraction (XRD), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), vibrating sample magnetometry (VSM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Furthermore, the key operational parameters affecting adsorption performance were evaluated to optimize the adsorption capacity for the effective removal of heavy metal contaminants.
 

---

Astaxanthin is a precious material and has many favorites for human; it is extracted from some creatures such as Haematococcus lacustris. Researchers try to maximize the production of this material. In this research effects of linoleic acid (LA), TiO2 and SiO2 Nanoparticles (NPs) were investigated on astaxanthin production, and expression of two astaxanthin metabolic pathway genes (CRTO and CRTR). The microalgae was cultured in BBM medium for 19 days autographically. In 3rd day, treatments were added to the cultures and astaxanthin measured in 3 days respectively in logarithmic and stationary phases, also RNA was extracted, Real-time PCR applied and Gene expression investigated in 11th. 30 µM LA and TiO2 NPs (40 mg L-1) induced 3.4 and 1.5 times astaxanthin production compared to the control, furthermore, CRTO and CRTR under 30 µM LA and SiO2 NPs (40 mg L-1) treatments displayed the highest gene expression. It was demonstrated that special concentration of Linoleic acid and TiO2 NPs, as inducers, could be used for astaxanthin production; also, Linoleic acid has a direct relationship with astaxanthin production and CRTO´s gene expression in the microalgae.

---

Abstract: The influence of cement content increase on corrosion resistant behavior in concretes containing nano-SiO2 was experimentally studied. For comparison, the chloride diffusion of plain concrete and the concrete containing nano-SiO2 was also experimentally studied. The test results indicated that the corrosion resistance of concretes containing nano-particles is significantly improved. However, the index of diffusion chloride ion in the concretes containing nano-SiO2 is directly related to cement content in the mix. The SEM oservations revealed that the microstructure of concrete with nano-SiO2 is more uniform and compact than that of normal concrete, but higher pore size distribution was observed when cement content is increased, which in turn leads to the increase in the diffusion of choloride ion.

---

Concrete is one of the most practical and durable construction materials due to economic aspects, abundance of the constituents, adaptability with the environment and its high compressive strength and durabity. High strength concretes are used in the most substructure constructions such as bridges, dams, towers, silos and etc. . The selection of proper aggregates and the constituents affects on the concrete properties such as strength, permeability, and durability. Therefore, optimization of mix designs is necessary to produce high strength and low permeability concretes. Although most of the concrete structures are constructed for 50 years sevice life, however, some of them are sometimes damaged due to sulfuric acid attack. The rate of concrete corrosion in sulfuric acid is a process of dissolution, sedimentation and leaching depends on the chemical compounds of cement, paste reactivity, aggregates type and their grading curves and the proportion of concrete components. Moreover, wetting and drying cycles increases the acid penetration and consequently the rate of corrosion. Remarkable concrete damages have been reported in Australia, Japan, the countries around Persian Gulf, Germany, South Africa and U.S.A.. Therefore, It will be necessary to repair or replace the damaged structure after the attack and it would be very expensive and creates many social problems. Nevetheless, several reports have been published to investigate plain concretes durability in acidic environments, but first, the results are paradoxical for example, silica fume effect against sulfuric acid attack and second, their studies have been conducted on the native construction materials such as fly ash or blast furnace slag. Therefore, it seems necessary to investigate concrete durability against sulfuric acid attack by using new materials such as nano-SiO2. In the present study, durability of concretes containing silica fume, nano-SiO2 and ultra fine Quartz powder was investigated under sulfuric acid attack. Concrete samples of four mix designs, including Silica Fume, nano-SiO2 and ultra fine Quartz powder as cement filler, were investigated to find optimum content of Silica Fume and nano-SiO2. Also to obtain a high strength concretes, ideal grading curve of aggregates and cementitious materials were used which lead to decrease cement consumption. Results show that the very low porosity concretes were obtained based on water absorption test results in comparison to plain concretes. Also, the 28 days compressive strength of all mixtures were obtaied more than 500 kg/cm2 using no more than 325 kg/m3 cementitious material content. Moreover, the durability of concretes against sulfuric acid attack, which is increased by silica fume and nano-SiO2, directly related to the 90 days water absorption. In addition, After 6 months of immersion in sulfuric acid solution with pH of 1.0, the mixture containing 8% silica fume, 2% nano-SiO2 and 25% ultra fine Quartz powder showed the best performance.

---

Expansive clayey soils can undergo periodic volumetric changes in the form of ground heave and settlement when subjected to moisture fluctuations. Such changes may lead to exert stress and serious problems to geotechnical structures if not adequately taken care of. Lime continues to be commonly used for treatment of these type soils; however, some restrictions are associated with its application. Therefore, in the present study a series of macro and micro level tests including swelling potential, unconfined compression strength (UCS), consolidation, pH and electrical conductivity (EC), adsorption, X-ray diffraction (XRD) and scanning electron microscope (SEM) analyses were carried out at various curing periods (1, 7, 28 and 90 days) and different temperatures (10, 20, and 40 °C) to assess the effects of environmental condition and SiO2-nanoparticles (NS) on the performance of lime treatment. To achieve the stated objective, lime and lime/NS (LNS) mixture were separately added to highly expandable clay at wide ranges from 0% to 30% by mass, respectively. The results obtained show that the environmental temperature, especially in the initial time of curing, has a prominent role on the geo-mechanical properties of lime treated soil samples. It was also found that the reduction in the temperature particularly at inadequate curing (lower than 28 days) provides a deleterious impact on the pozzolanic activity and decrease the formation of cementing compounds such as Calcium-Silicate-Hydrate (CSH) and Calcium-Aluminate-Hydrate (CAH) gels. In this case, the process of soil modification is mainly due to the short-term reactions (i.e. cation exchange and increase in osmotic pressure), increasing the amount of additives (up to two times) to control the swelling power. On the other hand, the incorporation of SiO2-nanoparticles into the binder system causes a reduction in the detrimental effects of low temperature on the engineering parameters of lime-treated products and decreases their sensitivity to the time of curing. The samples amended with the LNS blend exhibit a continuous development of soil mechanical capacity as the additive content increased. They are less deformable and show a decrease in their compression index by nearly 40% as compared with sole lime. Based on the XRD and SEM experiments, the superior influences of LNS are mainly ascribed to the higher and faster formation of cementitious compounds. In fact, at the presence of LNS, due to direct interaction of lime and silica from NS, the silicate gel can be immediately formed to coat and bind the clay particles together; whereas, with the addition of lime alone, the gel produces only by the removal of silica from the clay minerals that needs further time to complete its formation and hence the lower modification was occurred, especially at curing time shorter than 28 days. Moreover, NS reduces the pores sizes and serves to distribute the new crystalline phase (e.g. CSH gel) in a more homogenous fashion in the available space. This micro-structural reorganization upon the LNS treatment could rapidly block off the soil voids and greatly interlock the clay particles together that provide higher environmentally-stable materials with lower cost and energy as compared to standalone lime. It is finally concluded that the utilization of LNS mixture gives a promising way for increasing the efficiency of lime stabilization and decreasing the additive consumption.

---

---