A novel chitosan-alginate@Fe/Mn mixed oxide nanocomposite for highly efficient removal of Cr (VI) from wastewater: Experiment and adsorption mechanism

In this study, the synthesis and experimental theoretical evaluation of a new chitosan/alginate/hydrozyapatite nanocomposite doped with Mn2 and Fe2O3 for Cr removal was reported. The physicochemical properties of the obtained materials were analyzed using the following methods: SEM-EDX, XRD, FTIR, XPS, pH drift measurements, and thermal analysis. The adsorption properties were estimated based on equilibrium and adsorption kinetics measurements. The Langmuir, Freundlich and Temkin isotherms were applied to analyze the equilibrium data. The thermodynamic analysis of adsorption isotherms was performed. A number of equations and kinetic models were used to describe the adsorption rate data, including pseudo-first (PFOE) and pseudo-second (PSOE) order kinetic equations. The obtained test results show that the synthesized biomaterial, compared to pure chitosan, is characterized by greater resistance to high temperatures. Moreover, this biomaterial had excellent adsorption properties. For the adsorption of Cr (VI), the equilibrium state was reached after 120 min, and the sorption capacity was 455.9 mg/g. In addition, DFT calculations and NCI analyses were performed to get more light on the adsorption mechanism of Cr (VI) on the prepared biocomposite.

Efficient multi-ion adsorption using chitosan-malonic acid film: Enhancement using response surface methodology

The objective of this research is to conduct a comprehensive characterization of chitosan while also improving its attributes by crosslinking with malonic acid, with a focus on its efficacy in removing hexavalent chromium, arsenite and fluoride ions. Crosslinking chitosan in 1:0.5 mass ratio forming a film led to substantial enhancement in confiscation of these target pollutants. The characterization of the adsorbent involved several techniques, including FT-IR, TGA-DSC, SEM-EDX, XRD, and BET surface area analysis. In batch adsorption experiments, Chitosan-malonic acid (CMA) was employed to remove CrVI, AsIII and F- from aqueous solutions. These experiments were conducted while varying conditions such as pH, dosage, concentration, temperature, and time. Through the implementation of response surface methodology (RSM), parameters were optimized, resulting in over 95% removal of CrVI, AsIII and F- ions. The isotherm and kinetics data demonstrated a good fit with the Langmuir isotherm model and pseudo second-order kinetics, respectively. According to the Langmuir isotherm, the maximum adsorption capacities on CMA for CrVI, AsIII and F- were determined to be 687.05 mg g-1, 26.72 mg g-1 and 51.38 mg g-1 respectively under optimum pH of 4.0, 7.0 and 5.0 respectively under ambient temperature of 303 K. Thermodynamic analysis indicated that the adsorption process was spontaneous and driven by enthalpy. The regenerability of the adsorbent was validated through five adsorption-desorption cycles, signifying its reusability. An assessment of the adsorbent's sustainability indicated an eco-friendly synthesis, as reflected by the low E-factor value of 0.0028.

Thermoreversible and tunable supramolecular hydrogels based on chitosan and metal cations

A new thermoreversible and tunable hydrogel CS-M with high water content prepared by metal cation (M = Cu²⁺, Zn²⁺, Cd²⁺ and Ni²⁺) and chitosan (CS) was reported. The influence of metal cations on the thermosensitive gelation of CS-M systems were studied. All prepared CS-M systems were in the transparent and stable sol state and could become the gel state at gelation temperature (T_g). These systems after gelation could recover to its original sol state at low temperature. CS-Cu hydrogel was mainly investigated and characterized due to its large T_g scale (32-80 °C), appropriate pH range (4.0-4.6) and low Cu²⁺ concentration. The result showed that the T_g range was influenced and could be tuned by adjusting Cu²⁺ concentration and system pH within an appropriate range. The influence of anions (Cl^-, NO3^- and Ac^-) in cupric salts in the CS-Cu system was also investigated. Scale application as heat insulation window was investigated outdoors. The different supramolecular interactions of the -NH₂ group in chitosan at different temperatures were proposed to dominate the thermoreversible process of CS-Cu hydrogel.

Arsenic in drinking water: overview of removal strategies and role of chitosan biosorbent for its remediation

Accessibility to clean drinking water often remains a crucial task at times. Among other water pollutants, arsenic is considered a more lethal contaminant and has become a serious threat to human life globally. This review discussed the sources, chemistry, distribution, and toxicity of arsenic and various conventional technologies that are in option for its removal from the water system. Nowadays, biosorbents are considered the best option for arsenic-contaminated water treatment. We have mainly focused on the need and potential of biosorbents especially the role of chitosan-based composites for arsenic removal. The chitosan-based sorbents are economically more efficient in terms of their, low toxicity, cost-effectiveness, biodegradability, eco-friendly nature, and reusability. The role of various modification techniques, such as physical and chemical, has also been evaluated to improve the physicochemical properties of biosorbent. The importance of adsorption kinetic and isotherm models and the role of solution pH and pH_PZC for arsenic uptake from the polluted water have also been investigated. Some other potential applications of chitosan-based biosorbents have also been discussed along with its sustainability aspect. Finally, some suggestions have been highlighted for further improvements in this field.

Preparation of a novel citric acid-crosslinked Zn-MOF/chitosan composite and application in adsorption of chromium(VI) and methyl orange from aqueous solution

A novel citrate-crosslinked Zn-MOF/chitosan (ZnBDC/CSC) composite was successfully prepared by immobilizing Zn-MOF (ZnBDC) on citrate-crosslinked chitosan (CSC) using citric acid as a chemical bridge. ZnBDC/CSC was characterized by XRD, FT-IR, solid-state ¹³C NMR, BET and SEM. The adsorption of ZnBDC/CSC for Cr(VI) and MO from aqueous solutions were studied at pH 5.0. The adsorption conditions, such as adsorption time and initial concentration of Cr(VI) and MO solutions were investigated. The results indicated that ZnBDC/CSC showed high adsorption capacity for both Cr(VI) (225 ± 4 mg g^-1) and MO (202 ± 3 mg g^-1), respectively. The adsorption of Cr(VI) on ZnBDC/CSC could be well described by Langmuir isotherm model, while MO followed Freundlich model. The adsorption kinetic of Cr(VI) and MO demonstrated a better fitness to the pseudo-second order kinetic model. Thermodynamic parameters (enthalpy (ΔH), entropy (ΔS) and Gibbs free energy (ΔG)) demonstrated that the adsorption processes of Cr(VI) and MO on ZnBDC/CSC were exothermic, disordered and spontaneous at 298-318 K. The adsorption mechanism of ZnBDC/CSC for Cr(VI) could be mainly explained by electrostatic attraction and cation-π interaction, while for MO, it could be assigned to n-π and π-π interactions, electrostatic attraction and hydrogen bonding. ZnBDC/CSC could be recycled and reused for the removal of Cr(VI) and MO.

Mixing concentrated sulfuric acid and diethylenetriamine at room temperature: A rapid and facile approach to synthesize fluorescent carbon polymer hollow spheres as peroxidase mimics

Fluorescent carbon polymer nanomaterials driven by their important various applications are promising, however, their scalable usages are still hindered by the lack of facile and effective synthesis approaches. Herein, a rapid and facile approach is demonstrated for the preparation of fluorescent carbon polymer hollow spheres (CPHSs), which were synthesized by directly mixing concentrated sulfuric acid (H₂SO₄) and diethylenetriamine (DETA) at room temperature. Notably, both the solid powders and aqueous dispersion of CPHSs possess the fluorescence properties, similar with the reported carbon polymer dots. The formation of CPHSs could be attributed to the polymerization of DETA in the presence of H₂SO₄. The present strategy is universal and fluorescent nanomaterials could also be obtained by using hexamethylenetetramine or polyethylenepolayamine as precursors with the aid of concentrated H₂SO₄. Most importantly, the CPHSs possess peroxidase-like activity and can catalyze oxidation of 3,3',5,5'-tetramethylbenzidine (TMB) to its one-electron oxidation product, providing a new method for colorimetric detection of H₂O₂.

Quantitative evaluation of the non-thermal effect in microwave induced polymer curing

Microwave irradiation is one of the most effective strategies to accelerate the curing of resin. However, the mechanism is still unclear. The debates mainly focus on how to quantitatively evaluate the ‘non-thermal’ effect of the microwave. In this work, the non-thermal effect on DGEBA with amine (D230) and anhydride (MHHPA) hardeners respectively was evaluated via an isothermal microwave curing reactor. The ‘thermal effect’ caused by the microwave was peeled off accurately. Iso-conversional kinetic analysis was performed based on the reaction extent from the real time FTIR spectrum, and the apparent activation energy (E_a) was calculated for the quantitative evaluation of the microwave non-thermal effect. The influence caused by the polarized functional groups, reaction temperature and the transition state were explored, and the microwave non-thermal effect on the mechanical performance of the cured thermosets was evaluated. Results indicated that the microwave non-thermal effect was able to reduce the E_a and accelerate the curing speed of epoxy resin. At the same time, the final curing extent was increased when the non-thermal effect of microwave was induced leading to enhanced mechanical and thermal performance.

The non-thermal effect of microwave was evaluated quantitatively by the calculation of activation energy and pre-exponential factors with an isothermal microwave.

Amino-functionalized magnetic chitosan beads to enhance immobilization of potassium copper hexacyanoferrate for selective Cs+ removal and facile recovery

Potassium copper hexacyanoferrate (KCuHCF)-incorporated magnetic chitosan beads (HMC) were synthesized for both selective Cs⁺ removal in aqueous solutions and facile recovery of the spent adsorbent. To disperse and immobilize large amounts of the KCuHCF, methyl acrylate and diethylenetriamine were sequentially grafted onto the one-step synthesized magnetic chitosan beads. The additional introduction of amino functionality led to the enriched Cu²⁺ ions on the bead surface to incorporate KCuHCF into the grafting matrix. Consequently, the HMC exhibited a high Cs⁺ capacity calculated to be 136.47 mg g⁻¹ from the Langmuir model, and the equilibrium was established within 4 h. Moreover, the HMC exhibited excellent stability in a wide pH range from 4 to 11 and an outstanding Cs⁺ selectivity (>97%) in seawater (1.11 mg L⁻¹ Cs⁺). From a practical point of view, the HMC was stable during five successive adsorption cycles and easily recovered by magnets, enabling continuous operation to decontaminate a large volume of wastewater.

The magnetic chitosan beads were amino-functionalized by grafting and showed an outstanding removal performance for radioactive Cs⁺.