Oxidation State and Structure of Fe in Nontronite: From Oxidizing to Reducing Conditions

The redox reaction between natural Fe-containing clay minerals and its sorbates is a fundamental process controlling the cycles of many elements such as carbon, nutrients, redox-sensitive metals, and metalloids (e.g., Co, Mn, As, Se), and inorganic as well as organic pollutants in Earth's critical zone. While the structure of natural clay minerals under oxic conditions is well-known, less is known about their behavior under anoxic and reducing conditions, thereby impeding a full understanding of the mechanisms of clay-driven reduction and oxidation (redox) reactions especially under reducing conditions. Here we investigate the structure of a ferruginous natural clay smectite, nontronite, under different redox conditions, and compare several methods for the determination of iron redox states. Iron in nontronite was gradually reduced chemically with the citrate-bicarbonate-dithionite (CBD) method. 57Fe Mössbauer spectrometry, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), X-ray absorption near edge structure (XANES) spectroscopy including its pre-edge, extended X-ray absorption fine structure (EXAFS) spectroscopy, and mediated electrochemical oxidation and reduction (MEO/MER) provided consistent Fe(II)/Fe(III) ratios. By combining X-ray diffraction (XRD) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM), we show that the long-range structure of nontronite at the highest obtained reduction degree of 44% Fe(II) is not different from that of fully oxidized nontronite except for a slight basal plane dissolution on the external surfaces. The short-range order probed by EXAFS spectroscopy suggests, however, an increasing structural disorder and Fe clustering with increasing reduction of structural Fe.

A new type of calcium-rich biochars derived from spent mushroom substrates and their efficient adsorption properties for cationic dyes

Adsorption is commonly accepted as a most promising strategy in dye wastewater treatment, and the widespread use of adsorption emphasizes the need to explore low-cost but excellent adsorbents. Herein, a low-cost adsorbent (calcium-rich biochar) was developed, which was directly pyrolyzed from spent mushroom substate without any modification. This study evaluated the potential application of two calcium-rich biochars (GSBC and LSBC) derived from spent substrates of Ganoderma lucidum and Lentinus edodes, respectively. The effects of pyrolysis temperature on the calcium-rich biochars characteristics and their adsorption mechanism for cationic dyes (Malachite Green oxalate (MG) and Safranine T (ST)) were studied systematically. The increase in pyrolysis temperature from 350 to 750 °C led to an increase in both biochar ash, Ca content, and specific surface area, which made high-temperature biochars (GS750 and LS750) the superior adsorbents for cationic dyes. Batch adsorption results showed LS750 was more efficient to adsorb dyes than GS750 attributed to its higher Ca content and larger specific surface area. According to the Langmuir model, LS750 had high adsorption capacities of 9,388.04 and 3,871.48 mg g⁻¹ for Malachite green and ST, respectively. The adsorption mechanism of dye MG could be attributed to pore filling, hydrogen bonding, electrostatic interaction, ion exchange, and π-π stacking, while ST adsorption mainly involved pore filling, electrostatic interaction, ion exchange, and π-π stacking. Attributed to their excellent adsorption performance, cheap source, and good reusability, biochars obtained from SMSs were very promising in dyeing wastewater treatment.

Evaluation of adsorption ability of cyclodextrin-calixarene nanosponges towards Pb2+ ion in aqueous solution

Different cyclodextrin-calixarene nanosponges (CyCaNSs) have been characterized by means of FFC-NMR relaxometry, and used as sorbents to remove Pb²⁺ ions from aqueous solutions. Considering that the removal treatments may involve polluted waters with different characteristics, the adsorption experiments were performed on solutions without and with the addition of background salts, under different operational conditions. The adsorption abilities and affinities of the nanosponges towards Pb²⁺ ions were investigated by measuring the metal ion concentration by means of Inductively Coupled Plasma Emission Spectroscopy (ICP-OES) and Differential Pulse Anodic Stripping Voltammetry (DP-ASV). The acid-base properties of nanosponges and of metal ion as well as their interactions with the other interacting components of the systems have been considered in the evaluation of adsorption mechanism. Recycling and reuse experiments on the most efficient adsorbents were also performed. On the grounds of the results obtained, post-modified CyCaNSs appear promising materials for designing environmental remediation devices.