Modeling adsorption of brominated, chlorinated and mixed bromo/chloro-dibenzo-p-dioxins on C₆₀ fullerene using Nano-QSPR

Abstract

Many technological implementations in the field of nanotechnology have involved carbon nanomaterials, including fullerenes such as the buckminsterfullerene, C60. The unprecedented properties of such organic nanomaterials (in particular their large surface area) gained extensive attention for their potential use as organic pollutant sorbents. Sorption interactions can be very hazardous and useful at the same time. This work investigates the influence of halogenation by bromine and/or chlorine in dibenzo-p-dioxins on their sorption ability on the C60 fullerene surface. Halogenated dibenzo-p-dioxins (PXDDs, where X = Br or Cl) are ever-present in the environment and accidently produced in many technological processes in only approximately known quantities. If all combinatorial Br and/or Cl dioxin substitution possibilities are present in the environment, the experimental characterization and investigation of sorbent effectiveness is more than difficult. In this work, we have developed a quantitative structure–property relationship (QSPR) model (R2 = 0.998), predicting the adsorption energy [kcal/mol] for 1,701 PXDDs adsorbed on C60 (PXDD@C60). Based on the QSPR model reported herein, we concluded that the lowest energy PXDD@C60 complexes are those that the World Health Organization (WHO) considers to be less dangerous with respect to the aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR) toxicity mechanism. Therefore, the effectiveness of fullerenes as sorbent agents may be underestimated as sorption could be less effective for toxic congeners than previously believed.

Effects of fullerene C60 in blue mussels: Role of mTOR in autophagy related cellular/tissue alterations

“…In the fullerene family, C60 (buckminsterfullerene) is the most abundant representative. Its unique characteristics render C60 and its derivatives promising candidates for various applications in different fields such as medicine and electronics (Urbaszek et al, 2017). C60 has been demonstrated to act as a "free radical sponge" with an antioxidant efficacy hundreds of times greater than conventional antioxidants (Krusic et al, 1991;Liu et al, 2014).…”

Henry’s Constants of Persistent Organic Pollutants by a Group-Contribution Method Based on Scaled-Particle Theory

“…In addition, because this SPT method is general, future work can apply the method to additional classes of molecules with repeating functional groups. For example, Henry’s constants for highly toxic bromo/chloro-POPs could be correlated by the methods of our work. , We anticipate that our SPT model will be a useful advance in group-contribution models for Henry’s constant predictions.…”

“…For example, Henry's constants for highly toxic bromo/chloro-POPs could be correlated by the methods of our work. 41,42 We anticipate that our SPT model will be a useful advance in group-contribution models for Henry's constant predictions.…”