Microwave synthesis of amino-functionalized MCM-41 from coal gasification fine slag for efficient bidirectional adsorption of anionic and cationic dyes

Coal based solid waste has been recognized as a sustainable raw material for the preparation of high added value materials for wastewater treatment. In this paper, a preparation route was designed for the rapid, efficient, and low-cost preparation of MCM-41 zeolite using coal gasification fine slag as raw material. Functionalization modification of MCM-41 was carried out by grafting amino groups on its surface to improve its application performance. Moreover, the prepared functionalized material is used for bidirectional adsorption of anionic and cationic dyes. The experimental results indicate that MCM-41 zeolite with highly ordered pore structure was rapidly prepared using the advantages of fast heating and strong permeability of microwave synthesis method, with a specific surface area of up to 862.03 m2/g. Amine functionalized MCM-41 exhibits strong adsorption capacity for both cationic and anionic dyes, with maximum adsorption capacities for methylene blue and Congo red being 292.40 mg/g and 354.61 mg/g, respectively. The study of adsorption kinetics and adsorption mechanism indicate that the adsorption process is mainly controlled through chemical adsorption, including electrostatic attraction, hydrogen bonding, and π-π interactions. The results of this study will provide useful references for the use of coal based solid waste to prepare functional materials for the treatment of organic wastewater.

Advances in lignin-based biosorbents for sustainable wastewater treatment

The heavy metals, pesticides and dyes in agriculture and industry caused serious water pollution have increased the urgency for the advancement of biomass-based adsorbents due to their merits of low cost, high efficiency, and environmental sustainability. Thus, this review systematically examines the recent progress of lignin-based adsorbents dedicated to wastewater purification. Commencing with a succinct exposition on the intricate structure and prevalent forms of lignin, the review proceeds to expound rational design strategies tailored for lignin-based adsorbents coupled with adsorption mechanisms and regeneration methods. Emphasis is placed on the potential industrial applications of lignin-based adsorbents, accentuating their capacity for recovery and direct utilization post-use. The future challenges and outlooks associated with lignin-based adsorbents are discussed to provide novel perspectives for the development of high-performance and sustainable biosorbents, facilitating the effective removal of pollutants and the value-added utilization of resources in a sustainable manner.

Preparation of DES lignin-chitosan aerogel and its adsorption performance for dyes, catechin and epicatechin

Herein, DES lignin was obtained by pretreatment of grapevine with a deep eutectic solvent (ChCl-LA). A novel chitosan-DES lignin composite aerogel material (CS-LIG aerogel) was prepared to adsorb methylene blue (MB), Congo red (CR), catechin (C), and epicatechin (EC). The CS-LIG aerogel was systematically characterized by modern technological instruments. It was demonstrated that the DES lignin was successfully incorporated and had an important effect on the morphological structure and adsorption of dyes and natural products in the aerogel. The adsorption kinetic models for both adsorbed CR and MB are pseudo-second-order models. Adsorption isotherms followed Langmuir for the adsorption of CR and Freundlich for the adsorption of MB. The π-π interaction and hydrogen bonding of DES lignin aromatic groups in CS-LIG aerogels were responsible for the adsorption of C and EC with 86.42 % and 90.85 % removal rates, respectively. This study opens a new avenue for the high-value utilization of DES lignin and the preparation of chitosan-based composites for the adsorption of dyes and purification of natural products.

Amino-Functionalized Cellulose Nanofiber/Lignosulfonate New Aerogel Adsorbent for the Removal of Dyes and Heavy Metals from Wastewater

Due to the increasingly widespread water pollutants and the high cost of treatment methods, there is a demand for new, inexpensive, renewable, and biodegradable adsorbent materials for the purification of wastewater contaminants. In this study, a new biocomposite aerogel (Amf-CNF/LS) was prepared using a chemically cross-linking method between the amino-functionalized cellulose nanofibers (Amf-CNF) and lignosulfonates (LS). The physical and chemical properties of the prepared aerogel were investigated using several techniques including elemental analysis, scanning electron microscopy (SEM-EDS), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), thermal gravimetric analysis (TGA), and N₂ adsorption-desorption analysis. The Amf-CNF/LS aerogel was then applied for the removal of methylene blue (MB), rhodamine B dye (RhB), and the heavy metal cadmium ion (Cd²⁺) from synthetic wastewater solutions. The adsorption parameters controlling the adsorption process including the pH, contact time, adsorbent dosage, and adsorbate concen-tration were optimized. High adsorption kinetics and isotherms were observed, with the adsorption isotherms of the Amf-CNF/LS aerogel fitting the Langmuir model with maximum adsorption capacities of 170.94, 147.28, and 129.87 mg/g for MB, RhB, and Cd²⁺, respectively. These results show that Amf-CNF/LS aerogel is a promising green and inexpensive adsorbent for MB, RhB, and Cd²⁺ removal from wastewater.

Efficient Removal of Methylene Blue by Bio-Based Sodium Alginate/Lignin Composite Hydrogel Beads

Dye pollution is a serious issue in current environment protection, and bio-based adsorbents have been receiving much attention in wastewater treatment, due to their low cost, renewable, and environmentally friendly characteristics. Bio-based sodium alginate/lignin composite (SA/Lig) hydrogel beads were fabricated by a facile cross-linking with calcium ion and used for the removal of methylene blue (MB). The obtained SA/Lig microbeads were characterized with SEM, FTIR, and TG, and the effect of lignin content, pH, and temperature on the MB adsorption was investigated. The results indicated that the introduction of aromatic lignin can not only enhance thermal stability but also can improve the adsorption performance. Under optimal conditions, the maximum adsorption capacity (254.3 mg/g) was obtained for the SA/Lig-20% beads, with a removal efficiency of 84.8%. The adsorption process for MB is endothermic, and the rate-limiting step is chemical adsorption. The removal efficiency is higher than 90% after five cycles, revealing that the prepared beads show good regeneration ability.

Preparation of amine-functionalized lignins for the selective adsorption of Methylene blue and Congo red

Research on low-cost bio-adsorbents for the removal of harmful substances from effluents has recently attracted significant attention. In this study, three types of amino-silane-modified lignins (ASLs) with primary, secondary, and tertiary amine groups were prepared, and their adsorption behavior toward cationic and anionic dyes was investigated. Chemical structural analyses indicated that the three amino-silane reagents resulted in different molecular self-assembly structures on the lignin surface. The ASLs exhibited enhanced thermal stabilities and increased surface areas with different surface charges in different pH ranges. Owing to the high density of primary, secondary, and tertiary amine groups, the ASLs exhibited excellent adsorption capacities for cationic and anionic dyes. Additionally, they selectively adsorb anionic and cationic dyes according to the pH conditions. The ASL with primary amine had the highest adsorption capacity for Methylene blue and Congo red, reaching 187.27 and 293.26 mg·g^-1, respectively, followed by ASLs with the secondary amine and tertiary amine. All adsorption processes followed the Langmuir and Temkin isotherms and had pseudo-second-order kinetics. The hypothesized adsorption mechanism mainly involves electrostatic interaction, NH-π interaction, hydrogen bonding interaction and π-π interaction.

Organic dyes supported on silicon-based materials: synthesis and applications as photocatalysts

The most important advance in photocatalysis in the last decade has been the synthesis and application of organic compounds to promote this process.

Instant and quantitative epoxidation of styrene under ambient conditions over a nickel(ii)dibenzotetramethyltetraaza[14]annulene complex immobilized on amino-functionalized SBA-15

Nickel(ii)dibenzotetramethyltetraaza[14]annulene complex (Nitmtaa) was synthetized and immobilized on post amino-functionalized SBA-15 (N-SBA-15) to obtain a stable and reusable nanocatalyst named as Nitmtaa@N-SBA-15. Here (3-aminopropyl)triethoxysilane (APTES) was first grafted on the surface SBA-15, then Nitmtaa was added and coordinated on the silica surface via APTES amine groups. The structure and morphology, and thermal stability of the prepared nanocatalyst was investigated using SEM, HR-TEM, BET, FT-IR, powder XRD, and TGA. HR-TEM and XRD results revealed a high dispersion of Nitmtaa on the SBA-15 surface. The catalytic activity of this nanocatalyst was evaluated in the epoxidation of styrene, under ambient conditions, using meta-chloroperoxybenzoic acid (m-CPBA) as the oxygen donor. This nanocatalyst showed an immediate and quantitative epoxidation of styrene with high turn-over-frequency ∼31.58 s-1. Moreover, the superior catalytic activity and high stability of Nitmtaa@N-SBA-15 could be maintained after four successive cycles. A possible reaction mechanism is also proposed.

Effective disposal of methylene blue using green immobilized silver nanoparticles on graphene oxide and reduced graphene oxide sheets through one-pot synthesis

This study reveals the feasibility of exploring highly efficient, cost-effective, and stable green adsorbents for the treatment of contaminated water. Here silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) were immobilized onto nanosheets of graphene oxide (GO) through in situ reduction process using green tea aqueous extract. GO reduction to reduced graphene oxide (rGO) and AgNPs decoration on rGO also occurred simultaneously. The impacts of the extract concentration, contact time, and temperature on the synthesis process have been investigated. The synthesized nanocomposites were examined by XRD, FTIR, Raman, SEM, TEM, and TGA. The GO nanosheets were decorated by AgNPs with a crystalline structure and an average particle size of 25 ± 3 nm. The temperature and the extract concentration were considerably affecting the type of the resulting nanocomposites. The GO/Ag nanocomposites were formed at room temperature (27 °C) using different extract concentration (2-18% (v/v)), while the rGO/Ag nanocomposite was formed only at a higher temperature (95 °C) with higher extract concentration (18%). The methylene blue (MB) dye was picked as a water pollutant to explore the adsorption ability of the nanocomposites. The adsorption behavior of the GO/Ag nanocomposites was examined under diverse factors (MB concentration, adsorbent dosage, pH, and contact time) to achieve optimization. The adsorption data concurs with Langmuir isotherm giving maximum adsorption up to 633 mg g^-1. Adsorption kinetics demonstrate good pseudo-second-order compliance. Spontaneous and endothermic nature of adsorption was affirmed via thermodynamic parameters. The nanocomposites could be utilized as eco-friendly and reliable adsorbents in wastewater treatment, as a result of their exceptional productivity and reusing potential.

Synthesis of p-menthane-3,8-diol from citronellal over lignin-derived carbon acid catalysts

Sustainable carbon acid catalysts exhibited high-performance in the conversion of citronellal to p-menthane-3,8-diol via a carbocation-hydration pathway.

Nickel(ii)dibenzotetramethyltetraaza[14]annulene complex immobilized on amino-functionalized TUD-1: an efficient catalyst for immediate and quantitative epoxidation of cyclohexene under ambient conditions

Nickel(ii)dibenzotetramethyltetraaza[14]annulene complex immobilized on amino-functionalized TUD-1 as a new nanocatalyst for spontaneous and quantitative epoxidation of cyclohexene under ambient conditions.