MORONKOLA BRIDGET ADEKEMI

Chemistry

At the Chemistry department office

Appointment on Visitation important

Topic: REMOVAL OF TOXIC ANIONS AND CATIONS FROM WASTEWATER USING FUNCTIONALIZED ELECTROSPUN NANOFIBRES

Description: INTRODUCTION Electrospinning: This is a process whereby fibres are generated by the application of electrostatic forces to a jetting polymer solution. The incorporation of nanofillers into electrospun fibres enhances the fibre properties relevant to a number of applications, particularly mechanically reinforced composites Megelski et al., 2008 . Electrospinning is allowed for the creation of nanofibres fibres with a diameter well in the realm of nano dimensions , that can be collected to form a non-woven fabric. The resulting materials can be applied to create many products including medical devices, tissue engineering scaffolds, clothing and filtration media Megelski et al., 2008 . In the past years, many small scale and community based Anion and Cation removal technologies have been developed. AIMThe study will be focused on optimizing parameters for electrospinning polymer into nanofibres and characterizing the sorbents developed from the nanofibres in terms of their tunabililty for uptake and release of anions and cations from aqueous environments, reusability and loading capacities.OBJECTIVESThe nanofibres will be fully characterized in terms of their average diameters, morphologies and surface area. The nanofibres mat will then be stamped out into optimized masses and applied as adsorbents for uptake of toxic anions and cations, using batch contact and solid phase extraction. Parameters affecting adsorption such as initial concentration, contact time and pH will also be investigated. The capacity of the functionalized electrospun fibres to anions and cations in wastewater will be determined. The loaded sorbents will be desorbed, and the efficiencies of adsorptions / desorptions will then be determined.

#	Certificate	School	Year
1.	Ph.D (Analytical / Environmental Chemistry)	Rhodes University, Grahamstown, South Africa.	2016

DETERMINATION OF HEAVY METALS IN THE ESSENTIAL OILS OF Senna Occidentalis, Ritchiea Albersii,and Solenostemon

INTRODUCTIONEssential oils are the oil-based aromatic extracts derived from the leaves, stems, fruit, bark, flowers, roots, or seeds of plants. They are a highly concentrated form of volatile oils another name for essential oils - and have many beneficial properties. There are a few ways to produce essential oils, and the ideal extraction process is determined by the oil source and how well its phytoconstituents respond to extraction. Distillation hydrodistillation , and use of solvents are the most popular ways to extract essential oils. Plants or oils that are too delicate for distillation must be expressed, mechanically crushed, or extracted using solvents. Others, like whole citrus fruits, may be mechanically rolled over needles that puncture and release essential oils, a process known as the ecuelle or scarification method Wilson R. 2006 .; White C. 2010 .AIM To determine the heavy metals present in the essential oils of Senna occidentalis, Ritchiea albersii and Solenostemon extracts.OBJECTIVES To extract the essential oils from the following plants: Senna occidentalis, Ritchiea albersii and Solenostemon. To digest the extracted essential oils. To quantify for the heavy metals present in the digested oils using Atomic Absorption Spectroscopy AAS .

MORONKOLA BRIDGET is a Associate Professor / Reader at the Department of Chemistry

MORONKOLA has a Ph.D in Analytical / Environmental Chemistry from Rhodes University, Grahamstown, South Africa.