Mechanisms of chromate adsorption on boehmite

Unveiling interfacial interaction between antimony oxyanions and boehmite nanorods: Spectroscopic evidence and density functional theory analysis

In natural environments, the fate and migratory behavior of metalloid contaminants such as antimony (Sb) significantly depend on the interfacial reactivity of mineral surfaces. Although boehmite (γ-AlOOH) is widely observed in (sub)surface environments, its underlying interaction mechanism with Sb oxyanions at the molecular scale remains unclear. Considering Sb-contaminated environmental conditions in this study, we prepared boehmite under weakly acidic conditions for use in the systematic investigation of interfacial interactions with Sb(III) and Sb(V). The as-synthesized boehmite showed a nanorod morphology and comprised four crystal facets in the following order: 48.4% (010), 27.1% (101), 15.0% (001), and 9.5% (100). The combined results of spectroscopic analyses and theoretical calculations revealed that Sb(III) formed hydrogen bonding outer-sphere complexation on the (100), (010), and (001) facets and that Sb(V) preferred to form bidentate inner-sphere complexation via mononuclear edge-sharing configuration on the (100), (001), and (101) facets and binuclear corner-sharing configuration on the (010) facet. These findings indicate that the facet-mediated thermodynamic stability of the surface complexation determines the interaction affinity toward the Sb species. This work is the first to document the contribution of boehmite to (sub)surface media, improving the ability to forecast the fate and behavior of Sb oxyanions at mineral-water interfaces.

Contamination characteristics of heavy metals in a small-scale tanning area of southern China and their source analysis

Tanning industry has been identified as a significant source of heavy metals; however, heavy metals contamination in farmland soil due to small-scale tanning activities remains unstudied. Here, samples from topsoil, profile soil, water and sediments in the vicinity of a small-scale tanning area in Nanning, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, southern China, were collected to explore the contamination characteristics and source apportionment of Cd, Cr, Hg, As, Cu, Pb, Ni and Zn. The results show that the farmland soil was mainly contaminated by Cr and its content was 33.40-3830.00 mg kg-1. The highest level of Cr, Cd and Hg was above their thresholds, while the average contents of Cd, Cr, Pb and Hg exceeded the corresponding background levels. Moreover, enrichment of Cr in soil profiles and stream sediments were also observed, whose concentrations varied from 11.50 to 2590.00 mg kg-1 and 738.00 to 11,200.00 mg kg-1, respectively. Concentrations of Cr in top soils and soil profiles from farmland surrounding the stream were significantly higher than those from other areas, and the soils surrounding the stream were moderately to heavily polluted. The multivariate statistical analysis indicated that the heavy metals originated from traffic (Cu, Ni, Zn, Hg, and Pb), agriculture (Cr and Cd) and nature (As). Source apportionment with PMF model results showed that the relative contribution rates of heavy metals by traffic, tanning, agriculture, other industrial activities and natural sources were 16.00%, 18.88%, 20.88%, 22.04% and 22.20%, respectively. These findings indicate that small-scale tanning activities could also lead to heavy metal accumulation in the surrounding environment, which requires decision-makers to pay more attention and to develop effective remediation procedures.

Phase transformation of Cr(VI)-adsorbed ferrihydrite in the presence of Mn(II): Fate of Mn(II) and Cr(VI)

Ferrihydrite is an important sink for the toxic heavy metal ions, such as Cr(VI). As ferrihydrite is thermodynamically unstable and gradually transforms into hematite and goethite, the stability of Cr(VI)-adsorbed ferrihydrite is environmentally significant. This study investigated the phase transformation of Cr(VI)-adsorbed ferrihydrite at different pH in the presence of aqueous Mn(II), as well as the fate of Mn(II) and Cr(VI) in the transformation process of ferrihydrite. Among the ferrihydrite transformation products, hematite was dominant, and goethite was minor. The pre-adsorbed Cr(VI) inhibited the conversion of ferrihydrite to goethite at initial pH 3.0, whereas little amount of adsorbed Mn(II) favored the formation of goethite at initial pH 7.0. After the aging process, Cr species in solid phase existed primarily as Cr(III) in the presence of Mn(II) at initial pH 7.0 and 11.0. The aqueous Mn concentration was predominantly unchanged at initial pH 3.0, whereas the aqueous Mn(II) was adsorbed onto ferrihydrite or form Mn(OH)₂ precipitates at initial pH 7.0 and 11.0, promoting the immobilization of Cr(VI). Moreover, the oxidation of Mn(II) occurred at initial pH 7.0 and 11.0, forming Mn(III/IV) (hydr)oxides.

Enhanced desorption of cationic and anionic metals/metalloids from co-contaminated soil by tetrapolyphosphate washing and followed by ferrous sulfide treatment

In this study, a novel approach was employed for the remediation of cationic and anionic metals/metalloids co-contaminated soil by tetrapolyphosphate enhanced soil washing coupled with ferrous sulfide treatment. Tetrapolyphosphate could simultaneously enhance the desorption of cationic metals (Pb and Zn) and anionic metal/metalloid (Cr and As) from the contaminated soil in the whole tested pH range of 2-10. With addition of 0.15 mol/L tetrapolyphosphate at pH 7.0, the removal ratio of Pb, Zn, As and Cr could achieve 83.1%, 70.4%, 75.7% and 66.4% respectively. The fractionation analysis of heavy metals/metalloids demonstrated the release of exchangeable and Fe/Mn bound forms contributed to most desorption of Pb and Zn. The decreases of non-specifically sorbed form and amorphous and poorly-crystalline hydrous oxides of Fe and Al bound form were responsible for most removal of As. The comparison with other common washing agents (EDTA, oxalate and phosphate) under their respective optimal dosage could confirm that tetrapolyphosphate was superior to simultaneously desorb the cationic and anionic metals/metalloids with higher efficiency. After 12 h, applying 150 mg/L FeS at pH 3.5 could totally remove Pb, Zn, As and Cr from the washing effluent by sulfide precipitation, reduction and adsorption processes. Higher pH would inhibit the removal of As and Cr by FeS. Meanwhile, the residual of tetrapolyphosphate could be totally recovered from the washing effluent by employing anion exchange resin. This study suggests tetrapolyphosphate enhanced soil washing coupled with ferrous sulfide treatment is a promising approach for remediation of cationic and anionic metals/metalloids co-contaminated soil in view of its high efficiency and simple operation.

The effects of pH on U(VI)/Th(IV) and Ra(II)/Ba(II) adsorption by polystyrene-nano manganese dioxide composites: Fourier Transform Infra-Red spectroscopic analysis

Fourier Transform Infra-Red (FTIR) spectroscopy provides structural information of prime importance to understand ions coordination to adsorbents. This consequently aids in the design of improved ion exchange materials and help in deriving the optimum adsorption conditions. In the present work, the adsorption mechanism of both U(VI)/Th(IV) and Ra(II)/Ba(II) radionuclides couples onto polystyrene-nano manganese dioxide (PS-NMO) composite is reported in relation to the effect of working solution pH. The separation of each radionuclide couple; i.e. U(VI)/Th(IV) and Ra(II)/Ba(II); could be effectively achieved at pH = 3 and pH = 1 respectively. The pH values not only determine the species of the respected elements that are mainly present in aqueous solution before applying the adsorbent, but it also alters the structure of the composite adsorbent. FTIR spectroscopy showed that Th(IV) formed inner sphere complexes and occupied the A site in the dioxide layer, while U(VI) formed outer sphere complexes on the surface of the composite. Spectra subtraction showed that some aromatic bands and vinyl C-H bands were split or shifted to lower wavenumbers with the loading of Ba(II). This was attributed to changes in the composite stereochemistry to accommodate Ba(II). The working solution pH could be the key in the separation process of both U(VI)/Th(IV) and Ra(II)/Ba(II) from their mixture, and FTIR spectroscopy stands as a useful technique to explain the difference between metal ions responses to adsorbants.

Microscopic understanding about adsorption and transport of different Cr(VI) species at mineral interfaces

Cr(VI) ranks as one of the most toxic heavy metals and herein, microscopic mechanisms for adsorption and transport of different Cr(VI) oxyanions (Cr₂O₇^2- and CrO₄^2-) at kaolinite interfaces are addressed by dispersion-corrected periodic density functional theory calculations. Cr(VI) oxyanions adsorb favorably at both tetrahedral and octahedral surfaces, and K⁺ ions serve as bridge for Cr(VI) oxyanions and tetrahedral surfaces while Cr(VI) oxyanions serve as bridge for K⁺ ions and octahedral surfaces. Adsorption structures are altered significantly by pH variation, and stability trends at different pH ranges are deciphered by the dominant interaction force with clay surfaces: Electrostatic interaction with K⁺ ions at tetrahedral surfaces whereas combined action of electrostatic and H-bonding interactions with Cr(VI) oxyanions at octahedral surfaces. Electron transfers are strongly pH-dependent, and clay surfaces serve as electron reservoirs. CrO₄^2- rather than Cr₂O₇^2- is dominant at clay interfaces, and HCrO₄^- can co-exist under acidic conditions. Cr₂O₇^2- transformation to CrO₄^2- is kinetically blocked at pH ≈ PZC while preferred at pH < PZC. Cr(VI) removal and reclamation should proceed at pH > 7.0 and pH < PZC, respectively. Results greatly promote the understanding about Cr(VI) bioavailability and fate in surficial environments and are also useful for Cr(VI) removal and reclamation.

Mechanisms for Cr(VI) reduction by alcohols over clay edges: Reactive differences between ethanol and ethanediol, and selective conversions to Cr(IV), Cr(III) and Cr(II) species

Catalytic reduction by alcohols over clay minerals works efficiently under a wide range of pH and represents an emerging approach to control Cr(VI) contamination. Herein, mechanisms for Cr(VI) adsorption and reduction at clay edges are addressed by dispersion-corrected periodic DFT calculations, considering different active sites, and types (monohydric and polyhydric) and coverage of alcohols. Cr(VI) adsorbs favorably at clay edges, forming direct bonds and strong H-bonds. Mechanisms for Cr(VI) reduction by alcohols are largely determined by π-conjugation development, and efficient conversion conduces to Cr(VI) removal. Cr(II), Cr(III) and Cr(IV) are useful for different purposes, and high selectivity towards these products is realized through rational catalysts design: 1) Cr(IV) dominates at Al³⁺ site with all ethanol coverage, Al³⁺ site with high-coverage ethanediol, and Mg²⁺ site with low-coverage ethanol; 2) Cr(III) dominates at Al³⁺ and Mg²⁺ sites with low-coverage ethanediol; 3) Cr(II) dominates at Mg²⁺ site with high-coverage ethanol or ethanediol. Results agree finely with experimental observations available, and significant new insights have been provided for Cr management and recycling. Detailed electronic structure and vibrational analyses, which can also guide future experimental studies, manifest that Cr(VI) reduction progresses are effectively monitored by ESR and FT-IR techniques.

The Competitive Adsorption of Chromate and Sulfate on Ni-Substituted Magnetite Surfaces: An ATR-FTIR Study

With similar chemical properties and geometrical configurations, sulfate and chromate display interesting competitive adsorption on mineral surfaces. Although such issues have been investigated on several Fe (hydr)oxide surfaces, e.g., ferrihydrite, goethite and hematite, the competitive adsorption on magnetite surfaces and the constraint mechanism have seldom been studied. This impedes the understanding of the transfer and fate of chromate and sulfate on magnetite surfaces, as magnetite is not only a useful adsorbent but also an efficient reductant to decrease the mobility and toxicity of chromium. In the present study, the geometries of the competitive adsorption of chromate and sulfate on Ni-substituted magnetite surfaces over a pH range of 4–9 were investigated using in situ attenuated total reflectance Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and two-dimensional correlation analysis. In individual adsorption, nonprotonated monodentate mononuclear (NMM) complexes dominated chromate adsorption, accompanied by a few bidentate binuclear (BB) complexes. For sulfate, NMM complexes and outer-sphere (OS) species predominated under acidic and neutral–alkaline conditions, respectively. The above variation in adsorption configuration resulted in the different adsorption competitiveness between chromate and sulfate at different pH values. Specifically, the NMM complexes of chromate were substituted by NMM sulfate complexes under acidic conditions and vice versa. However, under neutral and alkaline conditions, the OS species of sulfate scarcely affected the adsorption of chromate. The adsorption affinity of chromate and sulfate on Ni-substituted magnetite increased in the following order: OS complex (sulfate) < NMM complexes (chromate) < NMM complexes (sulfate).

Exploring the Mechanisms of Selectivity for Environmentally Significant Oxo-Anion Removal during Water Treatment: A Review of Common Competing Oxo-Anions and Tools for Quantifying Selective Adsorption

Development of novel adsorbents often neglects the competitive adsorption between co-occurring oxo-anions, overestimating realistic pollutant removal potentials, and overlooking the need to improve selectivity of materials. This critical review focuses on adsorptive competition between commonly co-occurring oxo-anions in water and mechanistic approaches for the design and development of selective adsorbents. Six "target" oxo-anion pollutants (arsenate, arsenite, selenate, selenite, chromate, and perchlorate) were selected for study. Five "competing" co-occurring oxo-anions (phosphate, sulfate, bicarbonate, silicate, and nitrate) were selected due to their potential to compete with target oxo-anions for sorption sites resulting in decreased removal of the target oxo-anions. First, a comprehensive review of competition between target and competitor oxo-anions to sorb on commonly used, nonselective, metal (hydr)oxide materials is presented, and the strength of competition between each target and competitive oxo-anion pair is classified. This is followed by a critical discussion of the different equations and models used to quantify selectivity. Next, four mechanisms that have been successfully utilized in the development of selective adsorbents are reviewed: variation in surface complexation, Lewis acid/base hardness, steric hindrance, and electrostatic interactions. For each mechanism, the oxo-anions, both target and competitors, are ranked in terms of adsorptive attraction and technologies that exploit this mechanism are reviewed. Third, given the significant effort to evaluate these systems empirically, the potential to use computational quantum techniques, such as density functional theory (DFT), for modeling and prediction is explored. Finally, areas within the field of selective adsorption requiring further research are detailed with guidance on priorities for screening and defining selective adsorbents.

Enhanced adsorption of arsenate and antimonate by calcined Mg/Al layered double hydroxide: Investigation of comparative adsorption mechanism by surface characterization

This study aims to investigate adsorption mechanisms of As(V) and Sb(V) on calcined Mg/Al layered double hydroxide (LDH). The calcination process of Mg/Al LDH (CLDH) considerably enhanced the adsorption capacity of As(V) and Sb(V) via reconstruction and new formation of brandholzite-like compound, respectively. The maximum adsorption capacity for As(V) and Sb(V) by CLDH was 102.9 mg/g and 303.3 mg/g, respectively. The regeneration efficiency of As(V) by 0.5 M NaOH with 5 M NaCl mixed solution reached 72.3% during five regeneration cycles, while Sb(V) regeneration gradually decreased to 32.0% at the fifth regeneration cycles due to the irreversible surface complexation mechanism. Extended X-ray absorption fine structure (EXAFS) data displayed that Al plays a dominant role in the adsorption of As(V) on CLDH through bidentate-binuclear inner-sphere complex. On the other hand, XRD and EXAFS data revealed that Sb(V) formed a brandholzite-like structure Mg[Sb(OH)₆]₂·6H₂O which forms outer-sphere complex by the hydrogen bonding between hexagonal plates of magnesium and antimony hydroxide. Although the formation of brandholzite-like structure causes the partial transformation of original structure of Mg/Al LDH during reconstruction process with decreasing regeneration efficiency, it could be attributed to high binding affinity between Sb(V) and Mg/Al LDH.

Coadsorption and subsequent redox conversion behaviors of As(III) and Cr(VI) on Al-containing ferrihydrite

Naturally occurring ferrihydrite often contains various impurities, and Al is one of the most prominent impurities. However, little is known about how these impurities impact the physical and chemical properties of ferrihydrite with respect to metal(loid) adsorption. In this study, a series of Al-containing ferrihydrites were synthesized and exposed to a mixed solution containing As(III) and Cr(VI). The results showed that the two contaminants can be quickly adsorbed onto the surface of Al-containing ferrihydrite under acidic and neutral conditions. With the increase of Al molar percentage in ferrihydrites from 0 to 30, the adsorption capacity of As(III) decreased, whereas it increased for Cr(VI). On the other hand, with the increase of pH value from 3.0 to 11.0, the decreasing rate of As(III) was accelerated first, then slowed down, whereas the Cr(VI) decreasing rate slowed down dramatically. X-ray diffraction (XRD), Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET) analysis method, transmission electron microscopy (TEM) analysis, energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS) mapping, Attenuated Total Reflectance Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (ATR-FTIR), and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) were employed to characterize Al-containing ferrihydrite. Interestingly, it was found that the redox transformation occurred between As(III) and Cr(VI) after the two contaminants were coadsorbed onto the surface of Al-containing ferrihydrite. The oxidation of As(III) to As(V) and reduction of Cr(VI) to Cr(III) would greatly lower the environmental hazard of the As(III) and Cr(VI).

Adsorption and coadsorption mechanisms of Cr(VI) and organic contaminants on H3PO4 treated biochar

The study of simultaneous removal of heavy metals and organic contaminants has practical applications due to the coexistence of complex pollutants in the wastewater or soil. In this work, biochar was prepared to study the removal efficiencies of Cr(VI), naphthalene (NAP) and bisphenol A (BPA) in the single or mixed systems. H₃PO₄-treated biochar presented a much higher adsorption capacity of the pollutants than the untreated biochar and also showed a high resistance to coexisting salts. The maximum adsorption capacities for Cr(VI) and BPA were 116.28 mg g^-1 and 476.19 mg g^-1, respectively. Coadsorption experiments revealed that the presence of organic pollutants caused a limited decrease (∼10%) of removal efficiency of Cr(VI) and no further decrease was observed with higher concentrations of organic pollutants, while the presence of Cr(VI) had little impact on the removal of NAP. Infrared spectra and molecular simulation demonstrated that Cr(VI) was mainly adsorbed on the biochar via chemical complexation, while the organic pollutants through π-π interaction. Unexpectedly, the addition of Cr(VI) increased the removal efficiency of BPA, probably due to the increased H-bond interactions between BPA and the biochar through bridge bonds of oxygenic groups from CrO₄^2-.

Characterization and quantification of chromate adsorption by layered porous iron oxyhydroxide: An experimental and theoretical study

The inner structure of iron oxyhydroxide agglomerates (IOAs) prepared from hydrolysis of ferric chloride was characterized and correlated to surface complexation of hexavalent chromium, Cr(VI), in a broad range of pH (3-12) and ionic strengths (0.0-5.0M). Evolution of particle size, morphology, and surface activity, combined with density functional theory (DFT) calculations, support the condensation reaction initiated formation of IOAs in three levels: iron nanoparticles to nanolayers to agglomerates. This agglomeration process led to a layered porous structure for aqueous-phase IOAs resulting in a rapid and high removal of Cr(VI) in batch tests. By integrating adsorption results, thermodynamic modeling, and quantum chemical calculations for the adsorption reactions, a quantitative distribution profile for each surface coordination of Cr(VI) ions (i.e., monodentate, bidentate, and hydrogen-bonding) was established. Results of this study are important to understand the fundamental mechanism of IOAs formation in aqueous phase and the intrinsic nature of surface complexations at the mineral-water interface for optimal Cr(VI) removal in hypersaline waste streams.

A simple model to predict chromate partitioning in selected soils from China

Due to its mobility and toxicity, chromate [Cr(VI)] partitioning in soils, especially in the vadose zone, is an important environmental concern. The aim of this study was to develop a mechanism-based multi-surface complexation model using published parameters to predict the soil/water partitioning of Cr(VI) in 12 soils (previously depleted of organic matter) from China. The retention of Cr(VI) in soils was attributed to two reactive oxide surfaces: goethite and hydrous ferric oxide (HFO); however, modeling results showed that the best prediction was obtained with goethite alone, whereas the addition of HFO resulted in an overestimation of adsorption in some soils. Cr(VI) adsorption onto goethite could be described using our previously proposed CD-MUSIC model. In the absence of a specific value for the soil-reactive surface area of goethite, a general value of 45.8m²/g was used. The available phosphate in soils was identified as a strong competitor for Cr(VI) adsorption; thus, for soils with a low Fe/P ratio (<1) the effect of phosphate on Cr(VI) retention should not be neglected. The simple method presented herein can be applied to soils with a wide range of properties, pH values, and Cr(VI) loading concentrations.

Chromate adsorption on selected soil minerals: Surface complexation modeling coupled with spectroscopic investigation

This study investigates the mechanisms of Cr(VI) adsorption on natural clay (illite and kaolinite) and synthetic (birnessite and ferrihydrite) minerals, including its speciation changes, and combining quantitative thermodynamically based mechanistic surface complexation models (SCMs) with spectroscopic measurements. Series of adsorption experiments have been performed at different pH values (3-10), ionic strengths (0.001-0.1M KNO3), sorbate concentrations (10(-4), 10(-5), and 10(-6)M Cr(VI)), and sorbate/sorbent ratios (50-500). Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and X-ray absorption spectroscopy were used to determine the surface complexes, including surface reactions. Adsorption of Cr(VI) is strongly ionic strength dependent. For ferrihydrite at pH <7, a simple diffuse-layer model provides a reasonable prediction of adsorption. For birnessite, bidentate inner-sphere complexes of chromate and dichromate resulted in a better diffuse-layer model fit. For kaolinite, outer-sphere complexation prevails mainly at lower Cr(VI) loadings. Dissolution of solid phases needs to be considered for better SCMs fits. The coupled SCM and spectroscopic approach is thus useful for investigating individual minerals responsible for Cr(VI) retention in soils, and improving the handling and remediation processes.

Facile synthesis of boehmite/PVA composite membrane with enhanced adsorption performance towards Cr(VI)

A novel boehmite/PVA composite membrane (BPCM) with remarkably enhanced adsorption performance towards Cr(VI) was successfully synthesized from Al(NO3)3·9H2O using HAc as the peptizing agent via a facile sol-gel method. The physicochemical properties of the BPCM, the boehmite powder (BP) without PVA and a commercial boehmite powder (CBP) were comparatively characterized by XRD, TGA-DSC, FT-IR and XPS. Batch adsorption experiments showed that the adsorption performance of the BPCM is much better than those of BP and CBP. Its adsorption process was well described by the pseudo-second-order kinetic model, and its equilibrium data fit the Langmuir isotherm well with a maximum adsorption capacity of 36.41mgg(-1). Its interference adsorption experiment in presence of coexisting anions showed that SO4(2-) and HPO4(2-) have greater effect than those of the Cl(-), F(-), C2O4(2-) and HCO3(-). A three step action mechanism including adsorption of Cr(VI) anions, complexation between Cr(VI) anions and the functional groups on the surface of BPCM, and the reduction of Cr(VI) to Cr(III) was proposed to illustrate the adsorption process. This efficient film could be easily separated after adsorption, exhibiting great potential for the removal of Cr(VI) from aqueous solution, and other fields of environmental remediation.

Elemental sulfur amendment decreases bio-available Cr-VI in soils impacted by leather tanneries

This study investigated the potential use of elemental S (S(0)) to convert Cr-VI to Cr-III which should decrease the bio-availability hence, toxicity of Cr-VI in soils. The bio-available fraction of Cr in soil was measured by phosphate buffer extraction (PBE) and the results showed that the fraction is about 10% of the total Cr-VI and varied from 12.8 to 42.5 mg kg(-1). The addition of 4.0 mg g(-1) S(0) decreased PBE Cr-VI to <0.4 mg kg(-1) limit established for Cr-VI toxicity in soils. Synchrotron-based X-ray absorption near-edge structure (XANES), X-ray fluorescence (XRF) and micro-XRD revealed that Cr-III was the dominant species (99% of total Cr) and Cr was retained by hematite and goethite in soil. Fe-containing minerals may have provided sufficient protection to render the dominant Cr-III species biochemically inert to redox processes in soils. It is concluded that S(0)amendment is a promising approach to remediate Cr-VI contaminated soils.

Sn(II) oxy-hydroxides as potential adsorbents for Cr(VI)-uptake from drinking water: An X-ray absorption study

The feasibility of implementing a Sn(II) oxy-hydroxide (Sn6O4(OH)4) for the reduction and adsorption of Cr(VI) in drinking water treatment was investigated using XAFS spectroscopies at the Cr-K-edge. The analysis of the Cr-K-edge XANES and EXAFS spectra verified the effective use of Sn6O4(OH)4 for successful Cr(VI) removal. Adsorption isotherms, as well as dynamic Rapid Small Scale Test (RSSCT) in NSF water matrix showed that Sn6O4(OH)4 can decrease Cr(VI) concentration below the upcoming regulation limit of 10μg/L for drinking water. Moreover, an uptake capacity of 7.2μg/mg at breakthrough concentration of 10μg/L was estimated from the RSSCT, while the residual Cr(VI) concentration ranged at sub-ppb level for a significant period of the experiment. Furthermore, no evidence for the formation of Cr(OH)3 precipitates was found. On the contrary, Cr(III)-oxyanions were chemisorbed onto SnO2, which was formed after Sn(II)-oxidation during Cr(VI)-reduction. Nevertheless, changes in the type of Cr(III)-inner sphere complexes were observed after increasing surface coverage: Cr(III)-oxyanions preferentially sorb in a geometry which combines both bidentate binuclear ((2)C) and monodentate ((1)V) geometries, at the expense of the present bidentate mononuclear ((2)E) contributions. On the other hand, the pH during sorption does not affect the adsorption mechanism of Cr(III)-species. The implementation of Sn6O4(OH)4 in water treatment technology combines the advantage of rapidly reducing a large amount of Cr(VI) due to donation of two electrons by Sn(II) and also the strong chemisorption of Cr(III) in a combination of the (2)C and (1)V configurations, which enhances the safe disposal of spent adsorbents.

Mechanisms of Chromate, Selenate, and Sulfate Adsorption on Al-Substituted Ferrihydrite: Implications for Ferrihydrite Surface Structure and Reactivity

Ferrihydrite is a nanocrystalline Fe (hydr)oxide and important sink for environmental contaminants. Although Fe (hydr)oxides are rarely pure in natural systems, little is known about the effects of structural impurities such as Al on the surface properties and reactivity of ferrihydrite. In this study, we characterized the adsorption mechanisms of chromate, selenate, and sulfate on Al-substituted ferrihydrite (0, 6, 12, 18, and 24 mol % Al) using in situ attenuated total reflection Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. Spectral data sets recorded as a function of pH were processed using a multivariate curve resolution technique to identify which types of surface species form and to generate their concentration profiles as a function of pH and Al content. Results show a significant increase in relative fraction of outer-sphere complexes for all three oxyanions with increasing Al substitution. In addition, the effect of Al substitution is found to be mechanism-specific in the case of chromate, with bidentate complexes disproportionately suppressed over monodentate complexes at higher Al contents. Overall, our findings have important implications for the fate of chromate, selenate, and sulfate in subsurface environments and offer new insight into the surface reactivity of Al-ferrihydrite.

Metal–organic frameworks for applications in remediation of oxyanion/cation-contaminated water

Highlighting the use of metal–organic frameworks for remediation of oxyanion and oxycation contaminated water.