Multilayer Graphene Oxide Supported ZIF-8 for Efficient Removal of Copper Ions

To address the performance deterioration of ZIF-8 for the adsorption of copper ions caused by powder volume pressure and particle aggregation, we employed multilayer graphene oxide (MGO) as a support to prepare composite adsorbents (MGO@ZIF-8) by using the in situ growth of ZIF-8 on MGO. Due to a good interfacial compatibility and affinity between ZIF-8 and graphene nanosheets, the MGO@ZIF-8 was successfully prepared. The optimal Cu²⁺ adsorption conditions of MGO@ZIF-8 were obtained through single factor experiments and orthogonal experiments. Surprisingly, the Cu²⁺ adsorption capacity was significantly improved by the integration of MGO and ZIF-8, and the maximum Cu²⁺ adsorption capacity of MGO@ZIF-8 reached 431.63 mg/g under the optimal adsorption conditions. Furthermore, the kinetic fitting and isotherm curve fitting confirmed that the adsorption law of Cu²⁺ by MGO@ZIF-8 was the pseudo-second-order kinetic model and the Langmuir isotherm model, which indicated that the process of Cu²⁺ adsorption was monolayer chemisorption. This work provides a new approach for designing and constructing ZIF-8 composites, and also offers an efficient means for the removal of heavy metals.

Recent advances of chitosan-based polymers in biomedical applications and environmental protection

Interest in polymer-based biomaterials such as chitosan and its modifications and also the methods of their application in various fields of science is uninterruptedly growing. Owing to unique physicochemical, biological, ecological, physiological properties, such as biocompatibility, biodegradability, stability in the natural environment, non-toxicity, high biological activity, economic affordability, chelating of metal ions, high sorption properties, chitosan is used in various biomedical and industrial processes. The reactivity of the amino and hydroxyl groups in the structure makes it more interesting for diverse applications in drug delivery, tissue engineering, wound healing, regenerative medicine, blood anticoagulation and bone, tendon or blood vessel engineering, dentistry, biotechnology, biosensing, cosmetics, water treatment, agriculture. Taking into account the current situation in the world with COVID-19 and other viruses, chitosan is also active in the form of a vaccine system, it can deliver antibodies to the nasal mucosa and load gene drugs that prevent or disrupt the replication of viral DNA/RNA, and deliver them to infected cells. The presented article is an overview of the nowaday state of the application of chitosan, based on literature of recent years, showing importance of fundamental and applied studies aimed to expand application of chitosan-based polymers in many fields of science.

Conversion synthesis of manganese sulfate residue into iron hydroxide adsorbent for Cu(II) removal from aqueous solution

Manganese sulfate residue (MSR) is a by-product derived from the manganese sulfate production process. In this study, an iron hydroxide adsorbent was prepared from MSR using the hydrothermal conversion method. The adsorbent was characterized and used to remove copper(II) ions from aqueous solution. Batch experiments were performed to investigate the adsorption efficiency of copper ions at different contact times, initial concentrations, solution pH levels, and reaction temperatures. Adsorption equilibrium was observed in 3 h, and the best pH was under natural conditions (pH ∼ 5.5). Increasing the initial Cu²⁺ concentration and reaction temperature can increase the adsorption quantity. The adsorption capacity of iron hydroxide at an initial concentration of 50 mg L^-1 was 14.515 mg g^-1 Cu(II) under the conditions of a nature pH and room temperature. According to the adsorption data, the pseudo-second-order model can describe the adsorption kinetics of copper ions well, and the Freundlich model provides an excellent fit to the adsorption isotherm. XRD and FTIR were applied to characterize the raw materials and adsorbents to reveal the adsorption mechanism. The results suggest that the adsorbent converted from MSR is a promising material for the removal of Cu(II) in aqueous solutions.

Rhodamine B removal from aqueous solution by CT269DR resin: Static and dynamic study

The adsorption of Rhodamine B onto CT269DR resin has been studied through static and dynamic experiments. The effects of shaking speed, resin dosage, and pH on adsorption were investigated by static experiments. The external mass transfer rate remains substantially unchanged when the shaking speed exceeds 160 r min−1. The optimal pH range is 5–8, and an increase of resin dosage can directly improve the percentage of removal of Rhodamine B. The equilibrium isotherm data of Rhodamine B on CT269DR resin fit the Langmuir adsorption isotherm well. The thermodynamics parameters, Δ H = 69.93 kJ mol−1, Δ S = 326.73 J mol−1 K−1, and Δ G < 0, demonstrate that the adsorption of Rhodamine B onto CT269DR resin is spontaneous and endothermic. The pseudo first-order kinetic model can be successfully used to represent the adsorption process and the activation energy is 25.7 kJ mol−1. The dynamic experiments show that the breakthrough point is advanced when the flow rate increases and the bed adsorption capacity increases with increasing temperature. Furthermore, the desorption using the solution of 2% NaOH is suitable for desorption and reusing process, and scanning electron microscope (SEM) and fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) analysis reveals that used resin has good wear resistance and chemical stability. The results confirm that CT269DR resin can be employed as an efficient adsorbent for the removal of Rhodamine B from wastewater.