title: Aqueous Boron Removal by Using Electrospun Poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) Mats: A Combined Study of IR/Raman Spectroscopy and Computational Chemistry.
abstract: We report the use of a novel and efficient method to remove aqueous boron by using electrospun, water-resistant poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) mats stabilized in methanol. The removal of the primary aqueous boron species as (B(OH)3), was accomplished by chemical adsorption in reactions with -OH (hydroxyl) groups on the PVA mat surface. The chemical adsorption of B(OH)3was qualitatively confirmed by the analysis of IR and Raman spectra. The bands, corresponding to the molecular vibration modes of chemically bonded boron in PVA, were identified by using the frequency calculation from the computational chemistry for the first time. The adsorption capacities of PVA mats for aqueous boron were then quantitated at a low boron concentration (range: 0.0010 to 0.0025 g of aqueous boron per g of PVA mats) by the Carmine method. The PVA mats were prepared by a well-established electrospinning technique, which make these substrates promising potential candidates for use as boron-selective sorbent media in applications such as reverse osmosis desalination processes.
authors.affiliation: Department of Engineering Chemistry, College of Engineering, Chungbuk National University , Cheongju, Chungbuk 28644, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Kwan Sik
authors.initials: KS
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemical Engineering, Pukyong National University , Busan 48547, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Ki Heon
authors.initials: KH
authors.lastname: Eom
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemical Engineering, Pukyong National University , Busan 48547, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Jun-Heok
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Lim
authors.affiliation: Department of Civil Engineering, Pukyong National University , Busan 48513, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Hyunwook
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Ryu
authors.affiliation: Department of Civil Engineering, Pukyong National University , Busan 48513, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Suhan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.affiliation: Department of Engineering Chemistry, College of Engineering, Chungbuk National University , Cheongju, Chungbuk 28644, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Dong-Kyu
authors.initials: DK
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.affiliation: Department of Engineering Chemistry, College of Engineering, Chungbuk National University , Cheongju, Chungbuk 28644, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Yong Sun
authors.identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0003-0541-9081
authors.initials: YS
authors.lastname: Won