Adsorption of Phosphorus Oxyanions at the FeOOH(goethite)/Water Interface: The Importance of Basicity

Modeling of phosphate speciation on goethite surface: Effects of humic acid

Iron (hydr)oxides and humic acid (HA) are important active components in soils and usually coexist in the environment. The effects of HA on the adsorption and subsequent immobilization of phosphate on iron (hydr)oxide surface are of great importance in studies of soil fertility and eutrophication. In this study, two types of goethite with different particle sizes were prepared to investigate the phosphate adsorption behaviors and complexation mechanisms in the absence or presence of HA by combining multiple characterization and modeling studies. The adsorption capacity of micro- (M-Goe) and nano-sized goethite (N-Goe) for phosphate was 2.02 and 2.04 μmol/m2, which decreased by ∼25% and ∼45% in the presence of 100 and 200 mg/L HA, respectively. Moreover, an increase in equilibrium phosphate concentration significantly decreased the adsorption amount of goethite for HA. Charge distribution-multisite surface complexation (CD-MUSIC) and natural organic matter-charge distribution (NOM-CD) modeling identified five phosphate complexes and their corresponding affinity constants (logKP). Among these phosphate complexes, FeOPO2OH, (FeO)2PO2, and (FeO)2POOH species were predominant complexes on the surface of both M-Goe and N-Goe across a wide range of pH and initial phosphate concentrations. The presence of HA had little effect on the coordination mode and logKP of phosphate on goethite surface. These results and the obtained model parameters shed new lights on the interfacial reactivity of phosphate at the goethite-water interface in the presence of HA, and may facilitate further prediction of the environmental fate of phosphate in soils and sediments.

Face-dependent phosphate speciation on goethite: CD-MUSIC modeling and ATR-FTIR/2D-COS study

Understanding the face-dependent phosphate adsorption mechanisms and their variations with environmental conditions is of great significance for revealing phosphate adsorption mechanisms on various goethites and predicting phosphorus speciation in iron-rich soils. In this study, micro- (MicroGoe) and nano-sized goethite (NanoGoe) were synthesized and used to investigate the face-dependent adsorption behaviors of proton and phosphate on goethite by combining the charge distribution-multisite surface complexation (CD-MUSIC) model and attenuated total reflectance Fourier transform infrared (ATR-FTIR). The results demonstrated that MicroGoe had a higher charge density and phosphate adsorption capacity than NanoGoe, which could be attributed to the higher site density of ≡FeOH-0.5 and inner-layer capacitance arising from a higher proportion of capping face and rougher surface of MicroGoe. The logKH of ≡FeOH-0.5 on the main and capping face was 8.2 and 8.9, respectively. Three types of monodentate mononuclear phosphate complexes in different protonated states were identified, along with the non-protonated bidentate complex. Protonated monodentate complexes were formed at relatively low pH and high surface loadings, whereas non-protonated complexes were the predominant species at intermediate to high pH. MicroGoe had a higher percentage of monodentate complexes than NanoGoe, and both goethites had considerably lower phosphate adsorption on the capping face than on the main face. The results provide valuable insights into the interfacial reactivity of goethite prepared with various methods and facilitate further prediction of phosphorus speciation and availability in iron-rich soils.

Emerging iron-based mesoporous materials for adsorptive removal of pollutants: Mechanism, optimization, challenges, and future perspective

Iron-based materials (IBMs) have shown promise as adsorbents due to their unique physicochemical properties. This review provides an overview of the different types of IBMs, their synthesis methods, and their properties. Results found in the adsorption of emerging contaminants to a wide range of IBMs are discussed. The IBMs used were evaluated in terms of their maximum uptake capacity, with special consideration given to environmental conditions such as contact time, solution pH, initial pollutant concentration, etc. The adsorption mechanisms of pollutants are discussed taking into account the results of kinetic, isotherm, thermodynamic studies, surface complexation modelling (SCM), and available spectroscopic data. A current overview of molecular modeling and simulation studies related to density functional theory (DFT), surface response methodology (RSM), and artificial neural network (ANN) is presented. In addition, the reusability and suitability of IBMs in real wastewater treatment is shown. The review concludes with the strengths and weaknesses of current research and suggests ideas for future research that will improve our ability to remove contaminants from real wastewater streams.

New insights on the preparation of amine covalent organic polymer and its adsorption properties

Dye pollution is becoming increasingly severe. This study used the Schiff base reaction to synthesize a polyaromatic ring covalent organic polymer material with amide bonds and high electronegativity named SLEL-9 to adsorb Methylene Blue (MB) and Rhodamine B (RhB). SLEL-9 was characterized by Fourier transform infra-red spectra, X-ray photoelectron spectra, Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET), zeta potential analysis, and other techniques. It was found that SLEL-9 material contains C-C, CN, C-N, and CO. SLEL-9 had a zeta potential of about -45 mV under neutral conditions, which proved that the material had been synthesized successfully. The BET and Langmuir surface areas of SLEL-9 were 35.187 m2 g-1 and 56.419 m2 g-1, respectively. The adsorptions of SLEL-9 on low concentration (10 mg L-1) Methylene Blue and Rhodamine B reached equilibrium within 48 h. The results showed that SLEL-9's adsorption of dye molecules are more consistent with pseudo-second-order kinetic and Langmuir isotherm model. The adsorption experiments showed that the adsorption process is a spontaneous endothermic reaction, mainly chemisorption. The maximum adsorption capacity of SLEL-9 for MB and RhB were 132.45 mg g-1 and 101.94 mg g-1. In addition, this study investigated to determine the optimal reaction parameters. The primary mechanisms of SLEL-9 adsorption of two dyes are n→π* interaction, π-π EDA interaction and electrostatic attraction. Selective adsorb ability experiment results showed that SLEL-9 could selectively adsorb MB and RhB to a certain extent. Finally, it was found that SLEL-9 can maintain over 70% adsorption capacity after five reuses and can maintain stability after soaking in different pH water and organic solvents for 120 h. SLEL-9 proved to be a promising organic covalent polymer adsorption material for the removal of Methylene Blue and Rhodamine B in water.