Polyaniline-functionalized porous adsorbent for Sr2+ adsorption

New Process for the Sulfonation of Algal/PEI Biosorbent for Enhancing Sr(II) Removal from Aqueous Solutions-Application to Seawater

Sulfonic resins are highly efficient cation exchangers widely used for metal removal from aqueous solutions. Herein, a new sulfonation process is designed for the sulfonation of algal/PEI composite (A*PEI, by reaction with 2-propylene-1-sulfonic acid and hydroxylamine-O-sulfonic acid). The new sulfonated functionalized sorbent (SA*PEI) is successfully tested in batch systems for strontium recovery first in synthetic solutions before investigating with multi-component solutions and final validation with seawater samples. The chemical modification of A*PEI triples the sorption capacity for Sr(II) at pH 4 with a removal rate of up to 7% and 58% for A*PEI and SA*PEI, respectively (with SD: 0.67 g L^-1). FTIR shows the strong contribution of sulfonate groups for the functionalized sorbent (in addition to amine and carboxylic groups from the support). The sorption is endothermic (increase in sorption with temperature). The sulfonation improves thermal stability and slightly enhances textural properties. This may explain the fast kinetics (which are controlled by the pseudo-first-order rate equation). The sulfonated sorbent shows a remarkable preference for Sr(II) over competitor mono-, di-, and tri-valent metal cations. Sorption properties are weakly influenced by the excess of NaCl; this can explain the outstanding sorption properties in the treatment of seawater samples. In addition, the sulfonated sorbent shows excellent stability at recycling (for at least 5 cycles), with a loss in capacity of around 2.2%. These preliminary results show the remarkable efficiency of the sorbent for Sr(II) removal from complex solutions (this could open perspectives for the treatment of contaminated seawater samples).

Synthesis of Metal-Organic Framework ZnO x -MOF@MnO2 Composites for Selective Removal of Strontium Ions from Aqueous Solutions

A Zn(II)-based metal-organic framework (MOF) compound and MnO2 were used to prepare ZnO x -MOF@MnO2 composites for selective Sr2+ removal in aqueous solutions. The ZnO x -MOF@MnO2 composites were characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, thermogravimetric analysis, and Brunauer-Emmett-Teller surface area analysis. The functional groups, morphologies, thermal stabilities, and specific surface areas of the composites were suitable for Sr2+ adsorption. A maximum adsorption capacity of 147.094 mg g-1 was observed in batch adsorption experiments, and the sorption isotherms were fit well by the Freundlich model of multilayer adsorption. Adsorption reached equilibrium rapidly in kinetic experiments and followed the pseudo-second-order kinetic model. The adsorption capacity of the ZnO x -MOF@MnO2 composite with the highest MnO2 content was high over a wide pH range, and the composite was highly selective toward Sr2+ in solutions containing coexisting competing ions. Also, it has a good reusability for removing Sr2+.