Versatile heavy metal ions removal is performed via iron oxide core mesoporous silica shell nanocontainers functionalized with diethylene triamine pentaacetic acid.

Gemcitabine hydrochloride is an FDA-approved chemotherapeutic drug used in the treatment of various cancers. Several drawbacks of gemcitabine, including its short in vivo half-life of 8-17 min associated with ar apid excretion by the kidneys and its poor membrane permeability,h ave inspired research on an anodelivery approach. In this study,w er eport ethylene-based periodic mesoporous organosilica nanoparticles (PMOs) for photodynamic therapy and the autonomous delivery of gemcitabine in cancer cells. Porphyrins were used as photosensitizers and were localized in the walls of the PMOs while ah igh loading capacity of gemcitabine was observed in the porous structure. Depending on the nature of the photosensitizer, and its aggregation state, we were able to perform one or two-photon photodynamic therapy.T wo-photon excited photodynamic therapy combinedw ith gemcitabine delivery led to as ynergya nd av ery efficient cancer cell killing.

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The aim of this study is to report batch adsorption results of Cd (II) and Cr (VI) onto Algerian bentonite. The equilibrium adsorption process was achieved at about 120 min contact time. The kinetic and isotherms aspects of Cr (VI) and Cd (II) adsorption were investigated by varying operation parameters such as pH (0.5-6), initial Cd (II) and Cr (VI) concentrations (50-200 mg/l) and temperature (293.15 K-343.15 K). The optimum conditions obtained were: pH = 6.0 and 4.0 for Cd (II) and Cr (VI) respectively, initial concentrations of Cd (II) and Cr (VI) = 50 mg/L and T = 293.15 K. The kinetic of the adsorption process was studied by application of the most important kinetic models namely the pseudo-first order, the pseudo-second order and Elovich equations. The results showed that the pseudo-second order model fitted well the adsorption data of Cr (VI) whereas, and the Cd (II) adsorption data fitted best the Elovich equation. The equilibrium data fitted best the Langmuir isotherm, and the maximum adsorption capacity was determined through this model and was found to be 13.17 and 12.61 mg/g for Cd (II) and Cr (VI) respectively. The temperature had a reverse effect on the Cd (II) and Cr (VI) adsorption; our results showed that the removal efficiency increased to 82.4% and 55.70% for Cd (II) and Cr (VI) when the temperature decreased to 293.15 K. The negative figures of the Gibbs free energy ∆G˚ads values range from −15.23 kJ/mol to −14.37 kJ/mol for Cd (II) and from −9.70 kJ/mol to −9.64 kJ/mol for Cr(VI) at 293.15 K to 343.15 K showed that the adsorption process is spontaneous and favourable. These results confirmed the ability of the low-cost Algerian natural bentonite to efficiently and competitively adsorb the two toxic elements investigated: cadmium (II) and chromium (VI).

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