Magister Scientiae - MSc / Iron oxide nanoparticles were prepared using co-precipitation method in the presence and absence of beta-cyclodextrin β-CD). Such materials were characterized using transmission electron microscopy (TEM), energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX), attenuated total reflection Fourier transform infrared (ATR-FTIR), X-ray diffraction (XRD), cyclic voltammetry (CV), electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) and chronoamperometry (CA). The TEM shows that the surface morphology has no difference between nanoparticles prepared in the presence and absence of beta-cyclodextrin β-CD), amorphous particles with high surface area and dimensions of about 100 nm by 500 nm. The amorphous states of nanoparticles are confirmed further by XRD. The ATR-FTIR analysis confirms inclusion complex between β-CD and nanoparticles. The nanoparticles synthesized were used to develop an electrochemical sensor for phenolic endocrine disruptors by modifying the surface area of glassy carbon electrode (GCE). Electrochemical characterization of the iron oxide β-CD nano-composites, studied in 0.1 M potassium chloride (KCl) using chronoamperometry,showed that the surface concentration of the adsorbed composite material was 8.5 x 10-8 mol/cm2. Sensor analysis of bisphenol A (BPA) was carried out using cyclic voltammetry (CV) and square wave voltammetry (SWV) based on amperometric techniques which gave a linear range of 0.50 × 10-6 M to 50 × 10-6 M; limit of detection of 0.156 x 10-6 M and order of magnitude of linearity of 2.03. Hence, the sensor was further used to study 4-tert-octylphenol (TOP); the results showed that the sensitivity and the limit of detection were 11.31 nA L/mol and 0.249 x 10-6 M, respectively and order of magnitude of linearity of 2.00. / South Africa

This diploma thesis is focused on the issue of nonylphenol, degradation product of surfactants. Nonylphenol however most often arises in wastewater treatment plants predominantly during the microbial degradation of nonylphenol ethoxylates used in industry. It is a substance highly bioaccumulative, toxic predominantly to aquatic organisms. Furthermore, it belongs among hormone disruptors. The detailed research was prepared, on the basis which experimental part of diploma thesis was solved. Nonylphenol was determined in samples of the wastewater. The solid phase extraction (SPE) was used for the isolation of the analyte and purification of the extract. The final determination was performed on the gas chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry with time of flight analyzer (TOF). All steps of the preanalytical and the analytical procedure were optimized.