Person:
Ballester Pérez, Antonio

First Name

Antonio

Last Name

Ballester Pérez

URI

https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.14352/82729

Affiliation

Universidad Complutense de Madrid

Faculty / Institute

Ciencias Químicas

Area

Ciencia de los Materiales e Ingeniería Metalúrgica

Identifiers

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Search Results

Now showing 1 - 10 of 15

Biosynthesis of gold nanowires using sugar beet pulp
(Process Biochemistry, 2011) Castro Ruiz, Laura; Blázquez Izquierdo, María Luisa; Muñoz Sánchez, Jesús Ángel; González González, Felisa; García Balboa, María Del Camino; Ballester Pérez, Antonio
Sugar beet pulp was used as reductor and capping agent for the synthesis of gold nanowires. Reduction of tetrachloroaurate with sugar beet pulp is a simple, room temperature and environmentally friendly method. Polysaccharides and proteins are involved in the bioreduction and synthesis of nanoparticles. Different pH and molar concentration ratios of HAuCl4 were studied for the synthesis of gold nanowires. The formation of nanowires was induced by both basic mediums, due to the competence between biomolecules and hydroxide ions, and high concentrations of gold ions, because of the lack of capping agent to stabilize the preliminary nanoparticles formed that stick together producing wire-like nanostructures instead of nanospheres. This method allowed the synthesis of crystalline gold nanowires in the absence of a surfactant or polymer to direct nanoparticle growth, and without externally added seed crystallites. The synthesis of other metallic nanostructures such as silver and platinum could be achieved following a similar procedure.
Continuous metal biosorption applied to industrial effluents: a comparative study using an agricultural by-product and a marine alga
(Environmental Earth Sciences, 2017) Castro Ruiz, Laura; Bonilla, Luis; González González, Felisa; Ballester Pérez, Antonio; Blázquez Izquierdo, María Luisa; Muñoz Sánchez, Jesús Ángel
Fixed-bed column experiments have been conducted to evaluate the removal of metals from real industrial wastewaters. The effluents tested were provided by two different metallurgical companies: Industrial Goñabe, a galvanizing plant, and Sao Domingos mine, an abandoned sulfide mine. Sugar-beet pulp, a by-product of the sugar industry, and brown alga Fucus vesiculosus were used as biosorbents. The influence of pH on the sorption process was insignificant for the tests using Industrial Goñabe wastewater. On the contrary, an increase of pH improved metal sorption uptake and yield and saturation rate in the case of the Sao Domingos wastewater. A lower metal concentration in Sao Domingos wastewater resulted in a higher availability of metal-binding sites on the biomass. Better sorption parameters for both real wastewaters were obtained using brown alga Fucus vesiculosus. At pH 5, Zn sorption in continuous mode increased from 36 to 48% for Industrial Goñabe wastewater and from 34 to 37% for Sao Domingos wastewater. In the latter case, copper sorption increased from 73 to 88%. Breakthrough points that determine the service time of columns were reached later using alga as biosorbent. For Zn, column adsorption performance improved substantially with alga and its service time by 5 times. In the case of Cu, the breakthrough point of the second column was not reached during 1750 min of experimentation. The results obtained reaffirm the industrial applicability of these techniques.
Heavy metal adsorption using biogenic iron compounds
(Hydrometallurgy, 2018) Castro Ruiz, Laura; Blázquez Izquierdo, María Luisa; González González, Felisa; Muñoz Sánchez, Jesús Ángel; Ballester Pérez, Antonio
A significant number of industries produce large volumes of aqueous effluents containing heavy metals that discharge into the environment threatening biodiversity and human life. However, such effluents pose serious problems for the industry because of the high cost of metal decontamination using conventional technologies. The aim of this work is to study a suitable alternative through the use of iron compounds generated by a natural consortium with adsorptive properties appropriated for metal removal. The biogenic iron precipitates were identified as a mixture containing mainly siderite and magnetite. The use as sorbent was investigated to remove copper, zinc, arsenate and chromate from aqueous solutions. Variables such as the initial pH, contact time and initial metal concentration were evaluated. Three models were used to study the adsorption kinetic: pseudo first order, pseudo second order and Elovich models. Equilibrium data were fitted to Langmuir and Freundlich isotherm models. Higher metal uptakes were obtained with arsenic. Metal sorption was also investigated in the bimetallic system As-Cu.
Exploring the Possibilities of Biological Fabrication of Gold Nanostructures Using Orange Peel Extract
(Metals, 2015) Castro Roldán, Laura; Blázquez Izquierdo, María Luisa; González González, Felisa; Muñoz Sánchez, Jesús Ángel; Ballester Pérez, Antonio
Development of nanotechnology requires a constant innovation and improvement in many materials. The exploration of natural resources is a promising eco-friendly alternative for physical and chemical methods. In the present work, colloidal gold nanostructures were prepared using orange peel extract as a stabilizing and reducing agent. The initial pH value of the solution and the concentration of the gold precursor had an effect on the formation and morphology of nanoparticles. The method developed is environmentally friendly and allows control of nanoparticles. By controlling the pH and, especially, the gold concentration, we are able to synthesize crystalline gold nanowires using orange peel extract in the absence of a surfactant or polymer to direct nanoparticle growth, and without external seeding. UV-VIS spectroscopy, transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and X-ray diffraction (XRD) were used to characterize the nanoparticles obtained by biosynthesis.
Characterization of exopolymeric substances (EPS) produced by Aeromonas hydrophila under reducing conditions
(Biofouling, 2014) Castro Ruiz, Laura; Zhang, Ruiyong; Muñoz Sánchez, Jesús Ángel; González González, Felisa; Blázquez Izquierdo, María Luisa; Sand, Wolfgang; Ballester Pérez, Antonio
The aim of this work was to investigate the production of extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) by Aeromonas hydrophila grown under anaerobic conditions. EPS composition was studied for planktonic cells, cells attached to carbon fibre supports using a soluble ferric iron source and cells grown with a solid ferric iron mineral (gossan). Conventional spectrophotometric methods, Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) and confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM) were used to determine the main components in the biofilm extracted from the cultures. The key EPS components were proteins, indicating their importance for electron transfer reactions. Carbohydrates were observed mostly on the mineral and contained terminal mannosyl and/or terminal glucose, fucose and N-acetylgalactosamine residues.
Effectiveness of anaerobic iron bio-reduction of jarosite and the influence of humic substances
(Hydrometallurgy, 2013) Castro Ruiz, Laura; García Balboa, María Del Camino; González González, Felisa; Ballester Pérez, Antonio; Blázquez Izquierdo, María Luisa; Muñoz Sánchez, Jesús Ángel
Nowadays there is a growing interest in developing clean mining processes free of toxic chemicals. Biotechnology could be a cost-effective and environmentally friendly alternative to traditional leaching methods. Jarosite is an important sulfate mineral that occurs naturally and also can be produced as a waste in industrial processes. In this work, bioreduction of jarosite using Shewanella putrefaciens and a natural consortium under anaerobic conditions is presented as an acceptable bioleaching method. Moreover, the influence of humic substances that appear in natural environments acting as electron shuttles between microorganisms and insoluble oxides has been investigated. One key factor for the industrial implementation of anaerobic bioleaching is the metal recovery from minerals. The precipitates formed as products of dissimilatory iron reduction, the bacterial ability to obtain ferrous ions in solution and the stimulation of insoluble Fe(III) ores reduction by electron shuttles have been examined in this research.
Biosynthesis of silver and platinum nanoparticles using orange peel extract: characterisation and applications
(IET Nanobiotechnology, 2015) Castro Ruiz, Laura; Blázquez Izquierdo, María Luisa; González González, Felisa; Muñoz Sánchez, Jesús Ángel; Ballester Pérez, Antonio
This study focuses on the green synthesis of noble metal nanoparticles (silver (Ag) and platinum (Pt)) and how the size and shape of the nanoparticles produced can be controlled through changes in the initial pH value of the precursor solution. The nanoparticles were characterised by ultra-violet-visible spectroscopy, transmission electron microscopy and X-ray diffraction. This simple and environmentally friendly method allows the synthesis of diverse nanostructures in the absence of a surfactant or polymer to direct nanoparticle growth, and without externally adding seed crystallites. The antibacterial effects of Ag nanoparticles and catalytic properties of Pt nanoparticles were explored for future promising biotechnological approaches in different fields.
Biological synthesis of metallic nanoparticles using algae
(IET Nanobiotechnology, 2013) Castro Ruiz, Laura; Blázquez Izquierdo, María Luisa; Muñoz Sánchez, Jesús Ángel; González González, Felisa; Ballester Pérez, Antonio
The increasing demand and limited natural resources of noble metals make its recovery from dilute industrial wastes attractive, especially when using environmentally friendly methods. Nowadays, the high impact that nanotechnology is having in both science and society offers new research possibilities. Gold and silver nanoparticles were biosynthesised by a simple method using different algae as reducing agent. The authors explored the application of dead algae in an eco-friendly procedure. The nanoparticle formation was followed by UV–vis absorption spectroscopy and transmission electron microscopy. The functional groups involved in the bioreduction were studied by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy.
Aeromonas hydrophila produces conductive nanowires
(Research in Microbiology, 2014) Castro Ruiz, Laura; Vera, Mario; Muñoz Sánchez, Jesús Ángel; Blázquez Izquierdo, María Luisa; González González, Felisa; Sand, Wolfgang; Ballester Pérez, Antonio
Aeromonas hydrophila is a facultative anaerobe which, under conditions of oxygen depletion, uses Fe(III) as electron acceptor. A. hydrophila produces pili during growth with Fe(III). The study was focused on the characterization of the morphology, the electrical properties and the nature of the bacterial pili. Scanning electron microscopy and conductive-probe atomic force microscopy revealed the presence of filaments between cells and substrate and their conductive nature. Our results indicate that pili of A. hydrophila strain A might serve as biological nanowires, transferring electrons from the cell surface to the surface of Fe(III) oxides and, in addition, the possibility of playing a role in inter/intra species signaling. Quorum sensing (QS) is recognized as one of the main regulatory ways for extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) production and biofilm formation. We present evidence that nanowire formation can be regulated by addition of synthetic acyl-homoserine lactones (AHL). These conductive pili may be involved in various interactions, and their protein components might be usable in the future for biotechnological approaches in materials science.
Biosorption of Zn(II) from industrial effluents using sugar beet pulp and F . vesiculosus : From laboratory tests to a pilot approach
(Science of Total Environment, 2017) Castro Ruiz, Laura; Blázquez Izquierdo, María Luisa; González González, Felisa; Muñoz Sánchez, Jesús Ángel; Ballester Pérez, Antonio
The aim of this work was to demonstrate the feasibility of the application of biosorption in the treatment of metal polluted wastewaters through the development of several pilot plants to be implemented by the industry. The use as biosorbents of both the brown seaweed Fucus vesiculosus and a sugar beet pulp was investigated to remove heavy metal ions from a wastewater generated in an electroplating industry: Industrial Goñabe (Valladolid, Spain). Batch experiments were performed to study the effects of pH, contact time and initial metal concentration on metal biosorption. It was observed that the adsorption capacity of the biosorbents strongly depended on the pH, increasing as the pH rises from 2 to 5. The adsorption kinetic was studied using three models: pseudo first order, pseudo second order and Elovich models. The experimental data were fitted to Langmuir and Freundlich isotherm models and the brown alga F. vesiculosus showed higher metal uptake than the sugar beet pulp. The biomasses were also used for zinc removal in fixed-bed columns. The performance of the system was evaluated in different experimental conditions. The mixture of the two biomasses, the use of serial columns and the inverse flow can be interesting attempts to improve the biosorption process for large-scale applications.