Researchers use minced banana peel to extract lead and copper ions from raw river water.
Researchers from São Paulo State University (Ilha Solteira, Brazil) have used Fourier transform–infrared (FT-IR) spectrometry to examine the use of minced banana peel to extract lead and copper ions from water. Studying a sample of raw river water, the team applied FT-IR to the extraction of Cu(II) and Pb(II), which showed absorption bands of carboxylic and amine groups at 1730 and 889 cm1, respectively, and maximum adsorption capacities of 0.33 and 0.20 mmol g-1 for Cu(II) and Pb(II), respectively.
Led by Gustavo R. Castro of the Department of Crop Science, Food Technology, and Socioeconomics, the team applied the minced banana peel in the preconcentration system, which showed an enrichment factor of approximately 20-fold, and reused the column for 11 cycles without loss in the percentage of recovery. The team published their findings in the March 2011 issue of Industrial & Engineering Chemistry Research.
AI Boosts SERS for Next Generation Biomedical Breakthroughs
July 2nd 2025Researchers from Shanghai Jiao Tong University are harnessing artificial intelligence to elevate surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) for highly sensitive, multiplexed biomedical analysis, enabling faster diagnostics, imaging, and personalized treatments.
Artificial Intelligence Accelerates Molecular Vibration Analysis, Study Finds
July 1st 2025A new review led by researchers from MIT and Oak Ridge National Laboratory outlines how artificial intelligence (AI) is transforming the study of molecular vibrations and phonons, making spectroscopic analysis faster, more accurate, and more accessible.