Selective Adsorption of Hazardous Substances from Wastewater by Hierarchical Oxide Composites: A Review

Large volumes of wastewater containing toxic contaminants (e.g., heavy metal ions, organic dyes, etc.) are produced from industrial processes including electroplating, mining, petroleum exploitation, metal smelting, etc., and proper treatment prior to their discharge is mandatory in order to alleviate the impacts on aquatic ecosystems. Adsorption is one of the most effective and practical methods for removing toxic substances from wastewater due to its simplicity, flexibility, and economics. Recently, hierarchical oxide composites with diverse morphologies at the micro/nanometer scale, and the combination advantages of oxides and composite components have been received wide concern in the field of adsorption due to their multi-level structures, easy functionalization characteristic resulting in their large transport passages, high surface areas, full exposure of active sites, and good stability. This review summarizes the recent progress on their typical preparation methods, mainly including the hydrothermal/solvothermal method, coprecipitation method, template method, polymerization method, etc., in the field of selective adsorption and competitive adsorption of hazardous substances from wastewater. Their formation processes and different selective adsorption mechanisms, mainly including molecular/ion imprinting technology, surface charge effect, hard-soft acid-base theory, synergistic effect, and special functionalization, were critically reviewed. The key to hierarchical oxide composites research in the future is the development of facile, repeatable, efficient, and scale preparation methods and their dynamic adsorption with excellent cyclic regeneration adsorption performance instead of static adsorption for actual wastewater. This review is beneficial to broaden a new horizon for rational design and preparation of hierarchical oxide materials with selective adsorption of hazardous substances for wastewater treatment.

Ultrahigh-Porosity MgO Microparticles for Heat-Energy Storage

Continuous industrial development has increased the demand of energy. Inevitably, the development of energy sources is steadily progressing using various methods. Rather than establishing a new energy source, a system for storing waste heat generated by industry has now been accepted as a useful strategy. Among such systems, the hydration and dehydration reactions of MgO/Mg(OH)2  are eco-friendly, have relatively low toxicity and risk, and have a large reserves. Therefore, it is a promising candidate for a heat-storage system. In this study, ultrahigh-porosity particles are used to maximize the heat-storage efficiency of pure MgO. Due to its large surface area, the heat storage rate is 90.3% of the theoretical value and the reaction rate is very high. In addition, as structural collapse, likely to be caused by volume changes between reactions, is blocked as the porous region is filled and emptied, the cycle stability is secured. Ultrahigh-porosity MgO microparticles can be used to build eco-friendly heat-storage systems.

MgO coated magnetic Fe3O4@SiO2 nanoparticles with fast and efficient phosphorus removal performance and excellent pH stability

A regenerable MgO-coated magnetic Fe₃O₄@SiO₂ (FSM) composite effectively avoided the agglomeration of nano-MgO, which was resoundingly used for efficient and rapid phosphorus removal from aqueous solutions. Based on an initial screening of synthesized FSM with different Mg/citric acid molar ratios in terms of phosphorus adsorption capacity, an FSM composite with a Mg-citric acid molar ratio of 1:1 (FSM-1:1) was determined as the optimal choice. Scanning electron microscope (SEM), Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) and X-ray diffraction (XRD) showed that the prepared Fe₃O₄ was triumphantly loaded and the nano-MgO nanoparticles were evenly distributed on the surface of magnetic mesoporous silica. N₂ adsorption-desorption experiments manifested that FSM-1:1 had a large specific surface area of 124.3 m²/g and the pore size distribution calculated based on the BJH model was centered at 9.36 nm. Furthermore, FSM-1:1 not only exhibited fast adsorption kinetics (60 min) but also had a high maximum theoretical adsorption capacity of 223.6 mg P/g, which was superior to all the other Mg-based adsorbents. Remarkably, due to the coating of MgO, FSM-1:1 exhibited ultra-high stability in the pH range of 3-11, a wider range than many other Mg-modified sorbents. Our adsorbents also showed excellent selectivity for phosphate anions even in the presence of various coexisting anions (e. g. NO₃^-, Cl^- and SO₄^2-) with varying ionic strengths (0.01 and 0.1 M), good recyclability, the removal rate of phosphate still reached 89.0% after three cycles. Electrostatic attraction, Lewis acid-base interaction and the ligand exchange between Mg-OH and phosphate anions were responsible for the phosphate adsorption mechanisms.

Degradation of doxycycline antibiotics using lanthanum copper oxide microspheres under simulated sunlight

In this study, lanthanum copper oxide was synthesized under hydrothermal techniques and characterized for doxycycline degradation. The catalyst exhibited enhanced photocatalytic doxycycline degradation under visible light owing to its compatible bandgap energy (1.7 eV). The XRD data revealed high crystallinity of the material with no noticeable impurities. Three-dimensional microspheres of varying sizes (average diameter of 2.52 μm) were observed from SEM. EDX confirms the successful synthesis of La₂CuO₄. The effect of DC concentration, catalyst dosage, and initial pH on the degradation rate of DC was studied methodically. Interestingly, about 85% of doxycycline (10 mg/L) was degraded within 120 min of light-emitting diode irradiation at pH 10. Oxygen vacancies and surface defects were determined through photoluminescence spectra. The recyclability experiments suggested that the catalyst is capable of degrading DC for three consecutive runs. Radical trapping trials suggested that holes (h⁺), superoxide radicals (^●O₂^-), and hydroxyl radicals (^●OH) are involved in the photodegradation of DC. Herein, the novel approach of La₂CuO₄ synthesis and the efficient visible-light harvesting capability of as-prepared catalyst reveal the potentiality for DC degradation thereby opening a new horizon of research employing La₂CuO₄ used for various environmental applications.

Electrochemical, Isotherm, and Material Strength Studies of Cucumeropsis mannii Shell Extract on A515 Grade 70 Carbon Steel in NaCl Solution

In this study, corrosion inhibition efficiency of Cucumeropsis mannii shell extract (CMSE) was tested on A515 Grade 70 carbon steel in 1.0 M NaCl solution. Potentiodynamic polarization (PDP), electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS), and weight loss (WL) measurements were used to investigate the inhibition efficiency. Scanning electron microscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, atomic adsorption spectroscopy, and energy dispersive spectroscopy were used to characterize the carbon steel and extract. PDP and EIS measurements revealed maximum inhibition efficiency of 91.2% and 92.2%, respectively. Tafel plot confirmed inhibitor to be a mixed type. A monolayer adsorption of CMSE molecules occurred spontaneously by physisorption. Polarization resistance increased with increasing inhibitor concentration. WL measurement revealed decrease in corrosion rate with increasing concentration of corrosion inhibitor. Maximum Young modulus and hardness of 202.4 GPa and 112.3 BHN, respectively, were recorded for the carbon steel at a minimum corrosion rate and load. Pitting and uniform corrosion were formed on the carbon steel in the absence of CMSE. CMSE contains –OH, –OCH3, and –C-NH3 as active functional groups. In conclusion, Cucumeropsis mannii shell extract acted excellently as corrosion inhibitor for A515 Grade 70 carbon steel in 1.0 M NaCl.

Scaled-up development of magnetically recyclable Fe3O4/La(OH)3 composite for river water phosphate removal: From bench-scale to pilot-scale study

The use of magnetic lanthanum-based materials for phosphate removal from river water has gained increasing attention. However, challenges to produce and use lanthanum-based materials in large-scale or pilot-scale studies remain. In this work, a kilogram-scale Fe₃O₄/La(OH)₃ magnetically recyclable composite for removing phosphate from river water was developed through a low-temperature precipitation route. The composite was used to remove phosphate from river water at both bench- and pilot-scales. Based on the bench-scale tests, the developed Fe₃O₄/La(OH)₃ composite was found to have excellent magnetic particle separation efficiency (>98%) and a sorption capacity of 11.77 mg/g for phosphate. A 1.0 g/L dosage of the composite in the river water sample was able to selectively reduce the phosphate level from 0.089 to 0.005 mg/L in 60 min over five consecutive adsorption cycles. At the pilot-scale, the Fe₃O₄/La(OH)₃ composite only achieved 36.0% phosphate removal efficiency, which is considerably different from the bench-scale results over an operational time of five months and a total treatment volume of 300 m³. This significantly reduced removal efficiency is mainly attributable to turbidity, suspended solids, and organic matter in the river water and the deteriorated magnetic separation efficiency. This study revealed potential challenges and shed new insights on moving magnetic nanocomposite-based technology from the bench-scale to the pilot-scale, which can inspire new designs for the application of similar technology.

Phosphate Elimination and Recovery Lightweight (PEARL) membrane: A sustainable environmental remediation approach

Aqueous phosphate pollution can dramatically impact ecosystems, introducing a variety of environmental, economic, and public health problems. While novel remediation tactics based on nanoparticle binding have shown considerable promise in nutrient recovery from water, they are challenging to deploy at scale. To bridge the gap between the laboratory-scale nature of these nanostructure solutions and the practical benchmarks for deploying an environmental remediation tool, we have developed a nanocomposite material. Here, an economical, readily available, porous substrate is dip coated using scalable, water-based processes with a slurry of nanostructures. These nanomaterials have tailored affinity for specific adsorption of pollutants. Our Phosphate Elimination and Recovery Lightweight (PEARL) membrane can selectively sequester up to 99% of phosphate ions from polluted waters at environmentally relevant concentrations. Moreover, mild tuning of pH promotes at will adsorption and desorption of nutrients. This timed release allows for phosphate recovery and reuse of the PEARL membrane repeatedly for numerous cycles. We combine correlative microscopy and spectroscopy techniques to characterize the complex microstructure of the PEARL membrane and to unravel the mechanism of phosphate sorption. More broadly, through the example of phosphate pollution, this work describes a platform membrane approach based on nanostructures with specific affinity coated on a porous structure. Such a strategy can be tuned to address other environmental remediation challenges through the incorporation of other nanomaterials.

3D nanoflower-like layered double hydroxide modified quaternized chitosan/polyvinyl alcohol composite anion conductive membranes for fuel cells

To solve the trade-off problem among ionic conductivity, mechanical and chemical stability of anion exchange membranes (AEMs), quaternized chitosan (QCS) was first prepared and then was blended with polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) to improve mechanical strength of QCS. Afterwards, three-dimensional (3D) hierarchical flower-like layered double hydroxides (LDHs) were prepared via one-pot ethylene glycol-assisted solvothermal method, and then were incorporated into QCS/PVA blend matrix to fabricate composite AEMs. By constructing 3D hierarchical structure, the active sites of LDH nanosheets are fully exposed, thus impressive ion conductivity, alkali and fuel resistant ability of LDH nanosheets can be rationally utilized. The composite membrane displayed the maximum OH^- conductivity of 25.7 mS cm^-1, which was 48.6 % higher than that of the pristine membrane. Alkaline stability measurement proved that the composite membranes kept residual ionic conductivity of as high as 92 % after immersion in a 2 M KOH for 100 h. Due to the decreased methanol permeability and increased conductivity, the composite membrane with 6% LDHs content exhibited a peak power density of 73 mW cm^-2 at 60 °C, whereas the pristine membrane demonstrated only 40 mW cm^-2.

Batch and fixed-bed adsorption behavior of porous boehmite with high percentage of exposed (020) facets and surface area towards Congo red

Boehmite adsorbents with high percentage of exposed (020) facets and large specific surface area were prepared by a separate nucleation and aging steps route with excellent performance towards Congo red in batch and fixed-bed adsorption columns.

Green synthesis of triclinic (anorthic) phase AgCoPO4 nanoparticles: optical studies and theoretical modelling

We report the plant-mediated synthesis, structural investigation, optical properties and theoretical modelling of a triclinic (anorthic) phase AgCoPO4 nanoparticles for the first time. As part of green chemistry, the secondary metabolites in the leaf extract of Canna indica were engaged as the reducing/capping agent for the metal nanoparticles. X-ray diffraction (XRD) revealed the presence of an anorthic AgCoPO4 phase, crystallised in a triclinic structure with P -1 space group. Optical studies using UV-vis spectroscopy and photoluminescence are reported. Transmission electron microscopy suggests the formation of quasi-nanocube morphology, unlike the conventional spherically-shaped nanoparticles via plant-mediated reduction method. Elemental composition of the nanohybrid was confirmed by energy-dispersive x-ray spectroscopy (E.D.S.). Evidence of crystallinity was supported by selected area electron diffraction (SAED). Study of the dynamic anisotropy of the nanohybrid at optimised state suggests its proposed application as optical material in colourimetric metal nanoparticles-mediated sensors.

Effective removal of uranium from aqueous solution by using novel sustainable porous Al2O3 materials derived from different precursors of aluminum

Novel porous Al₂O₃ materials with high adsorption capacity for U(vi) were prepared via solution-freeze-drying-calcination technology.