Ana Jocić

Vinča Institute of Nuclear Sciences | VIN · Department of Physical Chemistry

Due to extensive food production, organophosphate pesticides (OPs) are widely utilized for crop protection, leading to their presence in the environment. The focus of this study was the design of an efficient aqueous biphasic system (ABS) strategy for OP removal, namely, malathion (MAL), azinphos-methyl (AZM), and chlorpyrifos (CHP) from water. Dif...

The consistent expansion of the lithium-ion battery (LIB) market, coupled with their relatively brief lifespan, necessitates the development of efficient and sustainable LIB recycling strategies. Recycling is crucial not only for the recovery of critical metals like Co(II) and Li(I) from the cathode material as a secondary resource but also from an...

Polyphenols are natural compounds with enhanced antioxidant properties. They are present in relatively high concentrations in fruit/vegetable by-products. Therefore, there is a need for the development of efficient and cost-effective methods for the separation and purification of these valuable compounds. Traditional extraction with organic solvent...

This study explores the use of a series of cholinium ionic liquids (ILs) or salts in combination with polypropylene glycol 400 to form aqueous biphasic systems (ABS) for extracting various polarity pesticides (dicamba, clomazone, pyraclostrobin, and deltamethrin) from water. We assessed five cholinium-based salting-out agents ([Ch][DHP], [Ch]Cl, [C...

Sage has been used in traditional medicine to prevent and treat many health problems. This study aimed to determine and compare the phytochemical composition and antioxidative activity of sage leaf extracts obtained with 50% methanol (50MSE) and 80% methanol (80MSE). We determined the total phenolic content (TPC), total tannin content (TTC), and to...

This study investigates tetrabutylphosphonium-based ionic liquids for food dye removal via extraction using aqueous biphasic systems with ammonium sulfate. Furthermore, these ionic liquids were used for activated carbon regeneration and employed for dye removal from the water as well. This dual approach achieved high extraction efficiencies (≈ 90%)...

The safety of drinking water is crucial for public health. Industrial and human activities have increased the use of heavy metals (cobalt, nickel, manganese) in water sources. These non-biodegradable, potentially carcinogenic metals pose serious health risks in drinking water. This study developed an efficient aqueous biphasic system (ABS) for remo...

In light of the escalating environmental concerns regarding pesticide accumulation, it is imperative to devise efficient strategies for their removal. Among the various options, activated carbons have emerged as promising candidates for adsorptive pesticide removal due to their many advantages, such as large surface area, well-developed porosity, a...

Due to the accumulation of pesticides in the environment, the development of efficient strategies for their removal is of utmost importance. Activated carbons are currently seen as excellent candidates for adsorptive pesticide removal based on several beneficial properties, like a large surface area, developed porosity, and low price. However, a de...

The extensive application of a pesticide, such as malathion, is a potential risk to human health as it can easily enter the food chain. An efficient and economical method for pesticide removal from the environment is necessary. In this work, we prepared a carbon material derived from biowaste (rabbit litter) for the removal of malathion from water....

The release and accumulation of pesticides in the environment require the development of novel sustainable technologies for their removal. While adsorption is a classical approach, the design of new materials with enhanced adsorption properties could rationalize the remediation routes and decrease potential risks for their non-target organisms, inc...

Development of cost-effective, bi-functional carbon electrocatalysts via direct carbonization of ionic liquids (bis(cholinium) tetrachlorocobaltate(II) ([Ch]2[CoCl4]) and bis(1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium) tetrachlorocobaltate(II) ([Bmim]2[CoCl4])) is reported herein for the first time. Carbon electrocatalysts, dual-doped with cobalt and nitrogen, we...

Organophosphorus pesticides (OPs) are highly effective pesticides which usage accounts for approximately 30% of the pesticides used worldwide. However, overusing OPs in addition to their difficult degradation is threatening environmental and human health even at very low concentrations that are below detection limits of the standard analytical tech...

Extensive use of pesticides resulting in their accumulation in the environment presents a hazard for their non-target species, including humans. Hence, efficient remediation strategies are needed, and, in this sense, adsorption is seen as the most straightforward approach. We have studied activated carbon fibers (ACFs) derived from viscose fibers i...

Extensive use of pesticides resulting in their accumulation in the environment presents a hazard for their non-target species, including humans. Hence, efficient remediation strategies are needed, and adsorption is seen as the most straightforward approach in this sense. We have studied activated carbon fibers (ACFs) derived from viscose fibers imp...

Extensive use of pesticides resulting in their accumulation in the environment presents a hazard for their non-target species, including humans. Hence, efficient remediation strategies are needed, and adsorption is seen as the most straightforward approach in this sense. We have studied activated carbon fibers (ACFs) derived from viscose fibers imp...

Unused/expired pharmaceuticals can be regarded as a source of valuable compounds. Valorization of active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) from pharmaceutical waste, as an alternative to widely adopted treatment by incineration, is a big challenge in terms of designing green, efficient, scalable and sustainable separation methods. Concerning these...

Aqueous biphasic systems (ABS) formed by copolymers and ionic liquids (ILs) have demonstrated to be effective separation platforms, but there is still a gap on the complete understanding of the molecular-level mechanisms ruling the two-phase formation for this type of systems. This work addresses the determination of the liquid-liquid equilibrium o...

Despite a large collection of publications dealing with the characterization of ionic liquid-based aqueous biphasic systems (IL-ABS), a gap still exists regarding the impact of functionalized alkyl side branches and IL positional isomers on phase equilibria. Therefore, this work addresses the investigation of the ability of different methyl substit...

The chemotherapeutic parthenolide (PTL) has an excellent potential in the treatment of acute lymphoblastic leukemia and much attention has been focused to overcome its poor aqueous solubility, which limits PTL bioavailability. The most promising approach is using micellar structures of Pluronics (class of triblock copolymer of poly(ethylene)-poly(p...

Molybdenum (Mo), vanadium (V) and tungsten (W) are strategic metals with many applications particullary in steel alloys, catalyst in petrochemical, chemical and aerospace industries. Their coexistence in various resources and similar chemical properties makes their extraction and mutual separation very challenging. Speciation of Mo, V and W in aque...

The novel aqueous biphasic systems based on symmetric imidazolium ionic liquids (ILABSs) for the extraction of toxic and resistive dyes from water was studied. The cation symmetricity of ILs strongly influence the outstanding ability of 1,3-dibutylimidazolium dicyanamide, [bbim][dca], to generate ABS with the exceptionally low amount of ecofriendly...

In this paper, physicochemical characterization of newly synthesized choline based ionic liquids with five different chelating anions were examined. The ionic liquids (ILs): cholinium–L–lactate, [Ch][Lac], cholinium–picolinate, [Ch][Pic], cholinium–anthranilate, [Ch][Ant], cholinium–oxyquinolinate, [Ch][oQ], and cholinium–diethylenetriaminepentaace...