Jose Rene Rangel-Mendez

• Doctor of Engineering
• Research Professor at Instituto Potosino de Investigación Científica y Tecnológica

Calcium-based solids are promising candidates for CO2 capture due to their high reactivity and availability. However, their low cyclic stability due to particle agglomeration remains a major challenge. In this study, calcium oxide, CaO, particles were prepared via thermal decomposition using calcium hydroxide, Ca(OH)2, as precursor. Ca(OH)2 particl...

A metallic manganese anode in metal–air batteries achieved an energy density of 1859 W h kg ⁻¹ and a specific capacity of 1930 A h kg ⁻¹ .

Graphitic carbon nitride (g-C3N4) is a metal-free photocatalyst active under visible light but exhibits low photocatalytic activity due to its low specific surface area and fast recombination rates. However, it is possible to enhance its effectiveness and performance can be significantly improved by preparing composites of g-C3N4 with activated car...

Agave bagasse fibers-derived biochar (BCw) impregnated with 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium acetate ionic liquid(IL) exhibited a considerably CO2 capture capacity at atmospheric (1.47 mmol/g at 25 °C and 1 bar) and moderately high pressure (1.32 mmol/g at 25 °C and 8.5 bar) under dynamic and static systems, respectively. Biochar-IL composites improved...

Carbon dioxide (CO2) plays an important role on Earth. But right now, there is too much! Burning fossil fuels increases the CO2 emissions into the atmosphere, causing global warming. Friend or foe, reducing CO2 is crucial. One way to do this is to capture CO2 before it is released from factory chimneys, or to take it directly from the air. These st...

The fabrication of cathodes with carbonized Agave tequilana bagasse for Li–S batteries is performed for the first time. Three porous carbonaceous structures are developed and studied to elucidate the best carbon textural properties in terms of their surface area and pore size distribution: hierarchical porosity, highly microporous, and nonporous ma...

Aim of study: The physical characteristics and the chemical and energetic properties of bark and sawdust from a sawmill were determined, in order to identify their potential to be used for bioenergy purposes. Area of study: The pine lignocellulosic residues were collected at the Forestal Viscaya company in Mexico. Material and method: 50 kg of each...

Water pollution is a very concerning problem since it affects millions of people around the world. Arsenic is a highly toxic metal that can cause serious health problems if consumed. Substances called metal oxides can help to remove contaminants like arsenic from water, and researchers have recently shown that these superheroes are even more powerf...

Organic waste-derived solar cells (OWSC) are a classification of third-generation photovoltaic cells in which one or more constituents are fabricated from organic waste material. They are an inspirational complement to the conventional third-generation solar cell with the potential of revolutionizing our future approach to solar cell manufacture. T...

In the context of the anaerobic ammonium oxidation process (anammox), great scientific advances have been made over the past two decades, making anammox a consolidated technology widely used worldwide for nitrogen removal from wastewaters. This review provides a detailed and comprehensive description of the anammox process, the microorganisms invol...

Organic waste-derived solar cells (OWSC) are a classification of third-generation photovoltaic cells in which one or more of its constituents are fabricated from organic waste material. They are an inspirational complement to the conventional third-generation solar cell with the potential of revolutionizing our future approach to solar cell manufac...

Tanned leather is a product of high intrinsic value and a sign of luxury. Chromium-tanned leather shavings are abundantly produced wastes which contain chromium that could be revalorized. The present research proposes the use of alkaline hydrolysis, aided by an inorganic anion, to promote the hydrolysis of the Cr–O bond. De-chromed solids were empl...

The biotransformation of the SARS-CoV-2 antiviral drugs, ribavirin and tenofovir, was studied in methanogenic bioreactors. The role of iron-rich minerals, recovered from a metallurgic effluent, on the biotransformation process was also assessed. Enrichment of anaerobic sludge with recovered minerals promoted superior removal efficiency for both ant...

Currently, the requirements for adsorbent materials are based on their environmentally friendly production and biodegradability. However, they are also related to the design of materials to sustain many cycles in pursuit of low cost and profitable devices for water treatments. In this regard, a chitosan reinforced with poly-ε-caprolactone thermopla...

In order to improve optoelectronic TiO2 properties exist different methodologies such as doping or coating using different compounds, such as carbon-based materials. In this work, carbon-doped TiO2 sphere were synthesized via sol–gel/solvothermal treatment, and then they were coated with three different carbonaceous materials: (1) waste leather-der...

Chromium-Tanned Leather Shavings are hazardous residues generated during leather processing. Since they contain considerable amounts of chromium, they represent a threat to life and the environment if managed improperly. The present study examines the transformation of such residues into carbon adsorbents and their use in the removal of azo dyes (m...

Carbon-based materials have been shown to enhance anaerobic digestion processes by promoting direct interspecies electron transfer in methanogenic consortia. However, little is known on their effects during the treatment of complex substrates, such as those derived from protein-rich wastewaters. Here, organic xerogels (OX) are tested, for the first...

Here it is reported the electrosorption of fluoride in the presence of competing anions of environmental relevance (chloride, nitrate, sulfate, phosphate and arsenate) by two activated carbon electrodes impregnated with La(III), La-0.5% and La-1.5% (w/w%). The electrosorption kinetics were evaluated using equimolar initial concentrations (0.263 mM...

This work reports the electrosorption of fluoride by two commercial activated carbons (coconut-shell and bituminous carbons) with significant differences in their pore-size distribution but with a similar surface area, surface chemistry and charging processes. The coconut-shell carbon is 95% microporous, while the bituminous carbon presents micro (...

In this study, Fe:Ce bimetallic oxide particles (BOP) were immobilized in poly(vinyl) alcohol (PVA) hydrogel, aiming to engineer a granular material that preserves the adsorptive properties of BOP powder, allowing their use in conventional water treatment systems. Through a detailed evaluation of the synthesis conditions, we were able to produce a...

Bimetallic oxy(hydroxides) have gain great interest in water treatment systems based on adsorption processes. Their high OH groups density, in addition to inheriting the oxides properties make them highly promising adsorbents of anions. In this work, highly affine and selective bimetallic oxyhydroxides of cerium and iron (Ce:Fe–P's) for arsenic(V)...

In this research a new hybrid material was prepared to improve the kinetics and CO2 sorption capacity of an ionic liquid supported on the macroporous structure of carbonized agave bagasse fibers, which are low-cost renewable materials. The ionic liquid was 1–butyl-3- methylimidazolium acetate that has high affinity for CO2. The CO2 capture was asse...

Chronic and excessive fluoride consumption has important implications for human health. Several methods have been implemented to decrease its concentration to acceptable levels. This work studies fluoride electrosorption by an activated carbon impregnated with 3 La(III) percentages: La-0.5%, La-1.5% and La-2.0%. Lanthanum clusters decreased the sur...

A direct pathway to convert orange peels waste to useful co-functionalized carbon quantum dots (CQDs) was performed trough a friendly and efficient “greener method” consisting of a one-step microwave assisted solvothermal synthesis. The reaction proceeds in a mixture of powder of orange peels as precursor and water. The biomass was characterized by...

The high fluoride content of water in some areas of the world has garnered interest in searching for technologies and processes capable of efficiently removing fluoride at low cost. The use of bio adsorbent is a good and environmentally friendly technique for removing fluoride, due to the green nature of employed materials. Because of its high adso...

This study aimed to investigate the adsorption performance of a macroalgae-based biocomposite as a biosorbent of water-soluble hydrocarbons (WSH) like BTEXN (benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, xylenes, and naphthalene) on packed bed columns. The effects of the inlet flow rate (0.3–1.1 mL/min), using naphthalene as a model, were analyzed and the operat...

This research reports the electrosorption of fluoride with a commercial bituminous activated carbon impregnated with Lanthanum(III), as this rare-earth element is an excellent fluoride adsorbent and has been associated with important electrochemical properties. Lanthanum was impregnated in a concentration of 0.45% w/w to promote a good dispersion o...

The occurrence of pollutants in drinking water sources has become a serious problem worldwide. Sometimes, the contamination is not even related to human activities but occurs naturally during the weathering of minerals in water reservoirs. This is the typical case for arsenic- and fluoride-polluted human consumption water sources, which is a well-d...

Fluorine is an essential element for human health at low doses, but its excessive and chronic consumption at higher doses promotes undesired health conditions. This research reports the electrosorption of fluoride with a commercial bituminous activated carbon impregnated with Lanthanum, as Lanthanum is an excellent fluoride sorbent and presents int...

In this work, the adsorption of a pharmaceutical pollutant, Naproxen (NPX), on activated carbon electrodes was improved through electroadsorption treatment under anodic polarization. After that, the contaminant was electrochemically degraded favoring the reactivation of the adsorbent material. The electroadsorption tests were performed with selecte...

We investigated the adsorption of benzene, as a model volatile organic compound from gasoline, in a novel macroporous carbon material, with the intention of improving the kinetics performance of porous materials in automotive canisters. In this research, we proposed agave bagasse fibers, that when pyrolyzed develop wide pores all along the fiber, t...

A poly(acrylic acid-co-itaconic acid) (PAA-co-IA)/NaOH hydrogel containing bamboo-type multiwall carbon nanotubes (B-MWCNTs) doped with nitrogen (PAA-co-IA/NaOH/B-MWCNTs) was synthesized and characterized by SEM, absorption of water, point of zero charges, infrared spectroscopy, thermogravimetric analysis, and differential scanning calorimetry. The...

In this work, physical and chemical analyses of 28 sawdust samples (tropical woods, pine woods, and oak woods) derived from the primary process of wood transformation and 4 samples of citrus residues were performed, as an option to make densified biofuels. The study included the determination of initial moisture, particle size distribution, proxima...

Individual and combined photo(electro)chemical reduction treatments of graphene oxide thin films have been performed to modulate the type of defects introduced into the graphene sheets during the reduction. These were characterized by X-ray photoelectron and Raman spectroscopies, nuclear reaction analysis and electrochemical methods. Illumination o...

Arsenic in groundwater for human consumption has negative effects on human’s health worldwide. Due to the above, it is essential to invest in the development of new materials and more efficient technology for the elimination of such priority contaminants as arsenic. Therefore, in the present work, it was synthesized an amorphous hybrid material ZrO...

El carbono es el elemento que ocupa el sexto lugar de tabla periódica, tiene una masa atómica de 12.01 dalton y un número atómico 6. Debido a sus propiedades químicas y físicas recientemente se ha considerado como el elemento que puede sustituir al silicio. El carbono se puede encontrar en diferentes estados cristalinos o no cristalinos tales como...

BACKGROUND Graphene materials have extensively been applied in several industries due to their enhanced properties. Predictably, these materials also end up in wastewaters generated from industrial sectors, and their effects on biological treatment systems are poorly understood. The aim of the present study was to assess the acute effects of graphe...

Recently, the discovery of the corrosion-promoting effect of graphene has hindered the progress in the use of graphene-based materials as anticorrosive coatings. This work proposes to avoid the corrosion-promoting effect by the introduction of favorable defects to electrochemically reduced graphene oxide (ErGO), which consisted in the hydrogenation...

Scarce attention has been placed on the geometry of anoxic fluidized bed membrane bioreactors (AFMBR) affecting the hydrodynamic pattern inside the reactor and, consequently, on the mechanical cleaning driven by granular carbon (GC) around the membrane. The present work evaluated the application of a swirling fluidization, produced by a tangential...

This study describes the effects of graphene oxide (GO) and reduced graphene oxide (rGO) on the acetoclastic, hydrogenotrophic and methylotrophic pathways of methanogenesis by an anaerobic consortium. The results showed that GO negatively affected the hydrogenotrophic and acetoclastic pathways at a concentration of 300 mg/L, causing a decrease of ~...

Carbon-supported PO43-/Fe3+-based nanocomposites were prepared by a thermal hydrolysis method. The influence of the molar ratio PO43-/Fe3+ upon the kinetics of adsorption and photocatalytic degradation of methylene blue was evaluated. In terms of the surface reaction rate, up to 8 times higher photoactivity (99 % dye conversion) than the commercial...

In this work, the influence of oxygen-containing surface groups of activated carbon electrodes on the charge efficiency of electro-assisted adsorption of As(V) was investigated. It was distinguished between activated carbons modified through acidic (oxidation) and thermal (reduction) treatments, starting with a granular pristine commercial activate...

Layered MoS2 and montmorillonite nanosheets were hybridized through a simple in-situ hydrothermal synthesis to develop an efficient catalyst (MoS2/MMT) for better exposure of the active sites on MoS2 toward Methyl Orange (MO) degradation, enable MoS2/MMT hybrid to achieve an excellent catalytic performance on MO removal. The characterizations of Mo...

A novel technology was developed for the treatment of a stainless-steal wastewater, which contains high nitrate concentration (6.8 g N-NO3-/L), acidic pH (pH=3.3) and high concentration of metals. Denitrification was performed in an Anaerobic Swirling Fluidized Bed Membrane Bioreactor (ASFMBR) with synthetic and real wastewater. The treatment conce...

Graphene oxide (GO) is a single-atom-thick sheet of carbon with oxygen-containing functional groups decorating its basal plane and edge sites. Most of its high surface area can be lost due to restacking of individual layers during the synthesis and drying of GO-based bulk sorbents. There is great interest to increase the specific surface area of gr...

New alternatives for the removal of transition metal ions that present an environmental risk are required. The chemical adsorption of these ions on surfaces with chemisorbent properties represents a promising area of research. In this work, manganite (γ-MnOOH) nanorods were synthesized, with a surface area of 20.22 m² g⁻¹, pore size of 32.18 nm and...

Activated carbon cloths (ACCs) were used as biofilms supports in the anaerobic biotransformation of 4-nitrophenol (4NP). As received ACC material (AW) was oxidized with HNO3 (OX) and then functionalized with anthraquinone-2,6-disulfonate (AQ). The three ACCs were packed in hybrid UASB reactors and seeded with anaerobic granular sludge for biotransf...

The porous La(III)- montmorillonite hydrogel beads (La-MMT_hb) with stable structure were fabricated via hydrogen-bond and electrostatic interactions for arsenic removal from water. The structural characteristics of La-MMT_hb and its sorption performances for As(V) were evaluated. The results showed that porous La-MMT_hb were clearly observed by sc...

Every year, the leather tanning industry produces substantial quantities of residues such as chrome-tanned leather shavings (CTLS), which contain considerable amounts of Cr(III) salts. The residues have no particular value and under natural conditions can transform into toxic Cr(VI) wastes. The objective of the present work is to evaluate the trans...

Nowadays, diesel desulfuration is of the utmost importance for the petrochemical industry in order to achieve efficient technologies for the production of clean fuels. Adsorption under normal conditions has the potential to produce ultra-low sulfur diesel if advanced materials capable of simultaneously removing both sulfur and nitrogen can be desig...

The excess of fluoride in water has given rise to serious health problems, reason why it is considered a priority pollutant to be removed from drinking water by the World Health Organization (WHO). Several investigations have shown that metal oxides possess a high fluoride adsorption capacity, and recent studies have shown that ceramic oxides are e...

Graphene oxide (GO) presents the advantage of being easily dispersed in water, which facilitates the assembly of nano and microstructures by numerous methods, in order to form uniform and thickness-controlled functional coatings. For example, the electrophoretic deposition (EPD) is one of the most used techniques to produce anticorrosive coatings o...

Fluoride pollution is an important problem in San Luis Potosi, México due to its health effects. Conventional water treatment methods do not provide an efficient remotion for this anion, so there is a need in adapt and develop methods for this purpose. ES is an hybrid method that consists in the electrical bias of conducting adsorbents with high sp...

The novel application of magnetite containing reduced graphene oxide nanosacks (MrGO-N) as electron shuttles to improve the reductive degradation of the pharmaceutical pollutant, iopromide (IOP), was evaluated. MrGO-N were synthesized by ultrasonicated nebulization process, and their physicochemical characterization was performed by potentiometric...

The electrochemical reduction of GO was investigated in aqueous, at both acid and basic pH, and organic media, to identify the possible role of protons (H ⁺ )in the reduction mechanism of this material. The obtained rGO films were characterized by FTIR, electrochemical methods, Raman and XPS spectroscopy. Data showed that the reduction was more eff...

This research proposes two threated natural fibers (jute and henequen) as precursor alternative for the production of activated carbon cloth, and evaluates their performance for water treatment. Three activation methods were explored: physical by using carbon dioxide or steam; and chemical with zinc chloride. The materials were characterized by ele...

Today, fluoride represents one of the most often found, and resilient, pollutants threatening the health of millions of people around the globe. The use of biosorbents is an interesting alternative technique for the removal of fluorine-ions. Chitosan is a natural biopolymer with surface groups capable of removing fluorine; however, their lack of me...

The redox-mediating capacity of magnetic reduced graphene oxide nanosacks (MNS) to promote the reductive biodegradation of the halogenated pollutant, iopromide (IOP), was tested. Experiments were performed using glucose as electron donor in an upflow anaerobic sludge blanket (UASB) reactor under methanogenic conditions. Higher removal efficiency of...

Arsenic adsorption in aqueous solutions onto a novel goethite-P(AAm) (Poly(Acrylamide)) composite, in batch and continuous processes, has been studied. This work included the synthesis and characterization of a novel goethite-P(AAm) composite. For the synthesis of the composite, three grades of crosslinking and the goethite content were evaluated....

Graphene oxide (GO) is an emerging nanomaterial widely used in many manufacturing applications, which is frequently discharged in many industrial effluents eventually reaching biological wastewater treatment systems (WWTS). Anaerobic WWTS are promising technologies for renewable energy production through biogas generation; however, the effects of G...

Nafion and Ultrex membranes were modified with nanocomposites (NCs) of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) immobilized on graphene oxide (GO) as a thin film, using a polydopamine adhesive (pda). The morphological, physicochemical, transport, electrochemical and anti-(bio)fouling properties were determined. The results indicated that the silver nanoparticl...

With increasing commercialization of high volume, two-dimensional carbon nanomaterials comes a greater likelihood of environmental release. In aquatic environments, black carbon binds contaminants like aromatic hydrocarbons, leading to changes in their uptake, bioavailability, and toxicity. Engineered carbon nanomaterials can also adsorb pollutants...

The arsenic removal efficiency of iron-modified activated carbons depends greatly on the number of available iron oxide surface sites, which are given by the surface area of the anchored particles. In this sense, aiming the generation of an adsorbent with superior arsenic adsorption capacity, we developed a protocol to anchor interconnected fibrils...

Nowadays the recovery of low-molecular soluble aromatic hydrocarbons (HCs) released into natural bodies of water continues to be a challenging task. These contaminants bring sever consequences to the environment and to the human health. Biosorption on macroalgae (Ma) biomass seem to be a potential alternative due to low costs and high availability,...

The electrosorption of As(III) in aqueous solutions by using activated carbon (AC) as the electrode was studied in this work. This study was performed through the measurements of adsorption and desorption, Cyclic Voltammetry (CV), Electrochemical Impedance Spectroscopy (EIS) and X-ray photoelectron spectra (XPS). Three parameters, applied voltage,...

Health and environmental problems associated with the presence of toxic aromatic compounds in water from oil spills have motivated research to develop effective and economically viable strategies to remove these pollutants. In this work, coconut shell (endocarp), coconut fiber (mesocarp) and coconut shell with fiber (endocarp and mesocarp) obtained...

The microwave-assisted solvothermal synthesis of C-doped TiO2 and ZnO hybrid materials was performed. Saccharose, titanium isopropoxide and zinc acetate were used as organic and inorganic sources for the synthesis. The influence of temperature and reaction time on the textural and optoelectronic properties of the hybrid materials was verified. Carb...

The effect of dissolved organic matter (DOM) and oil on the removal of the water-soluble compounds benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, and xylene isomers (BTEX) by two low-cost biosorbents Macrocystis pyrifera and Ulva expansa) was evaluated. DOM decreased the adsorption capacity of toluene, ethylbenzene, and xylenes of the two biosorbents. In contrast...

Natural iron oxides of low and high Fe content were characterized and evaluated to remove arsenic and fluoride from water. These iron oxides were collected from the main iron ore mines in operation in Mexico. Of the six materials evaluated, two effectively interacted with arsenic and fluoride. Adsorption isotherms of both anions adjusted to the Lan...

BACKGROUND Metallurgic wastewaters are acidic effluents containing large amounts of nitrate and heavy metals. Citric acid is one of the acids used by this industry and forms stable complexes with metal ions. The aim of this study was to elucidate the chemical aspects driving inhibitory or stimulatory effects of heavy metals on denitrifying processe...

The use of graphene based materials as anticorrosive coatings for the protection of metals is still a controversial subject worthy of debate. The electrophoretic deposition (EPD) is one of the most used techniques to produce anticorrosive coatings onto metals, including graphene oxide (GO) and reduced graphene oxide (rGO) coatings. However, for the...

Release of low−molecular aromatic hydrocarbons (HC) into natural waters brings severe consequences to our environment. Unfortunately very limited information is available regarding the treatment of these pollutants. This work evaluated the use of brown, green and red macroalgae biomass as biosorbents of benzene and toluene, two of the most soluble...

The aurocyanide complex recovery by precipitation with zinc decreases when gold concentration drops to < 20 μg L− 1. Therefore, a technology capable of recovering gold from very diluted solution is necessary. Adsorption and desorption experiments were carried out with real solutions in batch and in continuous processes to determine the gold adsorpt...

In this work, the single species and competitive (multispecies) adsorption of pyridine, phenol, and p-nitrophenol present in aqueous solution on multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs), and nitrogen-doped carbon nanotubes (CNx) were studied. The physicochemical properties of MWCNTs and CNx were related to their capability for the adsorption of the or...

This work reports the first successful application of graphene oxide (GO) and partially reduced GO (rGO) as redox mediator (RM) to increase the biotransformation of the recalcitrant iodinated contrast medium, iopromide (IOP). Results showed that GO-based materials promoted up to 5.5 and 2.8-fold faster biotransformation of IOP by anaerobic sludge u...

The synthesis of MnxZn1-xFe2O4 ferrites (x = 0.4, 0.5 and 0.6) by means of the co-precipitation method is reported. Furthermore, a composite of Mn0.4Zn0.6Fe2O4/activated carbon was prepared with the mechanosynthesis method. The magnetic, structural, morphological and chemical properties were analyzed by means of VSM, XRD, SEM, FTIR and Boehm's titr...

Equilibrium and dynamic adsorption of heavy metals onto spent coffee ground (SCG) were studied. The equilibrium adsorption of Cd 2+ , Cu 2+ , and Pb 2+ in a batch system was modeled by an ion-exchange model (IEM) based on an ion-exchange of heavy metals with calcium and protons bonded to active sites on SCG surface. The maximum amount of adsorbed m...

Nowadays, petrochemical operations involve risks to the environment and one of the biggest is oil spills. Low molecular aromatics like benzene, toluene, and naphthalene dissolve in water, and because of their toxicological characteristics, these produce severe consequences to the environment. The oil spill cleanup strategies are mainly designed to...

In the present work was studied the adsorption-desorption of heavy metals from aqueous solutions using carbo-naceous materials prepared with a technology that combines radiant and microwave heating. Three optimum carbons O-Cu, O-Cd and O-Zn were prepared and characterized using elemental analysis, potentiometric titra-tion, nitrogen adsorption isot...

The intensive use of groundwater by the gold mining industry is an important sustainability concern, especially in arid and semiarid regions where groundwater is a scarce resource. Alternatives, such as water reuse, treatment and recycling, have been implemented to overcome this issue. The potential use of reclaimed wastewater in gold heap leaching...

In the present work was studied the adsorption-desorption of heavy metals from aqueous solutions using carbonaceous materials prepared with a technology that combines radiant and microwave heating. Three optimum carbons O-Cu, O-Cd and O-Zn were prepared and characterized using elemental analysis, potentiometric titration, nitrogen adsorption isothe...

Metal–humic acid complexes were synthesized and immobilized by a granulation process in anaerobic sludge for their application as solid-phase redox mediators (RM) in the biotransformation of iopromide. Characterization of Ca- and Fe-humic acid complexes revealed electron accepting capacities of 0.472 and 0.556 milli-equivalents g−1, respectively. O...

The objective of this study was to evaluate the adsorption capacity of fluoride in batch system at different pH on synthesized composites based in chitosan and low cost materials such as zeolite and seaweed. Both composites were compared: chitosan-zeolite (ch-z), chitosan-algae (ch-a). Adsorption experiments were individually conducted with these m...