Selective adsorption of lead(II) from aqueous solution

Adsorptive separation of Pb(II) from aqueous solution containing Pb(II) and other heavy metals (Cu(II), Zn(II) and Cd(II)) has been investigated, using three adsorbents, such as an iminodiacetic acid-chelating resin (CR11) and Fe-based adsorbents (goethite and magnetite). Batchwise adsorption of Pb(II) and other metal ions in single metal system and multi-components system was carried out with varying parameters, such as pH, time and initial concentrations of metals. CR11 possesses the highest adsorption ability for these metals, while the selectivity of individual metal is little. Goethite possesses selectivity for Pb(II) and Cu(II), and magnetite possesses selectivity for Pb(II), though the adsorption capacity for the metals is less than those with CR11. The kinetics of the adsorption of metals with all adsorbents is of pseudo-second-order, and the magnetite is revealed to have the fastest adsorption kinetics. The three adsorbents can be applied for chromatographic separation for these metals. The magnetite is feasible for selective separation of Pb(II), although complete elution cannot be achieved.

Resolvable polymorphism in an intergrowth of two modifications of tris(diethyldithiocarbamato)antimony

Tris(diethyldithiocarbamato-κS)antimony(III), [Sb(C₅H₁₀NS₂)₃], is tentatively presumed to comprise a triclinic and a monoclinic polymorph intergrown into each other. The geometry in the triclinic phase is a ψ-capped octahedron and that in the monoclinic phase is a ψ-pentagonal bipyramid. The study also identifies the polyhedral symbols for a reported pair of polymorphs of another Sb^III coordination compound, as well as for those of published polymorphic modifications of other Bi^III and Pb^II coordination compounds; the symbols in the pair differ in most of these examples. When differentiating related structures of such classes of coordination compounds, lone-pair stereochemistry may be another informative variable, as stereochemical activity is not always apparent from bond distances and angles only.

Fast and Highly Efficient Adsorption Removal of Toxic Pb(II) by a Reusable Porous Semi-IPN Hydrogel Based on Alginate and Poly(Vinyl Alcohol)

A porous semi-interpenetrating network (semi-IPN) hydrogel adsorbent with excellent adsorption properties and removal efficiency towards Pb(II) was prepared by a facile grafting polymerization reaction in aqueous medium using natural biopolymer sodium alginate (SA) as the main chains, sodium acrylate (NaA) as the monomers, and poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) as the semi-IPN component. FTIR, TGA and SEM analyses confirm that NaA monomers were grafted onto the macromolecular chains of SA, and PVA chains were interpenetrated and entangled with the crosslinked network. The incorporation of PVA facilitates to form pores on the surface of hydrogel adsorbent. The semi-IPN hydrogel containing 2 wt% of PVA exhibits high adsorption capacity and fast adsorption rate for Pb(II). The best adsorption capacity reaches 784.97 mg/g, and the optimal removal rate reaches 98.39% (adsorbent dosage, 2 g/L). In addition, the incorporation of PVA improved the gel strength of hydrogel, and the storage modulus of hydrogel increased by 19.4% after incorporating 2 wt% of PVA. The increase of gel strength facilitates to improve the reusability of hydrogel. After 5 times of regeneration, the adsorption capacity of SA-g-PNaA decreased by 23.2%, while the adsorption capacity of semi-IPN hydrogel only decreased by 10.8%. The adsorption kinetics of the hydrogel in the initial stage (the moment when the adsorbent contacts solution) and the second stage are fitted by segmentation. It is intriguing that the adsorption kinetics fits well with both pseudo-second-order kinetic model and pseudo-first-order model before 60 s, while only fits well with pseudo-second-order adsorption model in the whole adsorption process. The chemical complexing adsorption mainly contribute to the efficient capturing of Pb(II).

Determination of Lead Employing Simple Flow Injection AAS with Monolithic Alginate-Polyurethane Composite Packed In-Valve Column

A simple flow injection FlameAAS for lead determination with an alginate-polyurethane composite (ALG-PUC) monolithic in-valve column has been developed. The ALG-PUC monolithic rod was prepared by mixing methylene diphenyl diisocyanate with polyol and sodium alginate with the ratio of 2:1:1 by weight for a 5 min polymerization reaction. It was then put into a column (0.8 cm i.d × 11 cm length) situated in a switching valve for the FI set up. A single standard calibration could be obtained by plotting the loaded µg Pb²⁺ vs. FI response (absorbances). The loaded µg Pb²⁺ is calculated: μg Pb²⁺ = FR_load × LT × C_Pb²⁺, where the FR load is the flow rate of the loading analyte solution (mL min⁻¹), LT is the loading time (min), and C_Pb²⁺ is the Pb²⁺ concentration (µg mL⁻¹). A linear calibration equation was obtained: FI response (absorbances) = 0.0018 [µg Pb²⁺] + 0.0032, R² = 0.9927 for 1–150 µg Pb²⁺, and RSD of less than 20% was also obtained. Application of the developed procedure has been demonstrated in real samples.

Cucurbituril-Encapsulating Metal-Organic Framework via Mechanochemistry: Adsorbents with Enhanced Performance

The first examples of monolithic crystalline host-guest hybrid materials are described. The reaction of 1,3,5-benzenetricarboxylic acid (H3 BTC) and Fe(NO3 )3 ⋅9 H2 O in the presence of decamethylcucurbit[5]uril ammonium chloride (MC5⋅2 NH4 Cl⋅4 H2 O) directly affords MC5@MIL-100(Fe) hybrid monoliths featuring hierarchical micro-, meso- and macropores. Particularly, this "bottle-around-ship" synthesis and one-pot shaping are facilitated by a newly discovered Fe-MC5 flowing gel formed by mechanochemistry. The designed MC5@MIL-100(Fe) hybrid material with MC5 as active domains shows enhanced CH4 and lead(II) uptake performance, and selective capture of lead(II) cations at low concentrations. This shows that host-guest hybrid materials can exhibit synergic properties that out-perform materials based on individual components.

Selective removal of iron(III), lead(II) and copper(II) ions by polar crude phytochemicals recovered from ten South African plants: identification of plant phytochemicals

This work consists of gathering the leaves of ten different South African plants from the local reserve. Black and green tea were sourced commercially. The plants were air dried and polar crude material extracted using deionized water. These crude phytochemicals were used as green chelators to remove metal ions from an aqueous solution. Iron(III), lead(II) and copper(II) ions were competitively removed from an eight metal ion solution with iron(III) being removed at more than 80% followed by lead(II) with greater than 40% removal and copper(II) with removal values of more than 20%. Metal ion removal was shown to be affected by change in pH of the solution, indicating that removal took place via the pH-swing mechanism. As the pH is increased, iron(III) is first removed followed by lead(II) and then copper(II). Iron(III) and lead(II) were selectively removed even at a 10-fold dilution level compared to the other metal ions present. Loading tests showed that iron(III) removal does not change, but for lead(II) and copper(II) there is a noticeable increase in removal with an increase in the amount of crude. The phytochemicals in the crude were identified using Liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS). Some crudes had similar phytochemicals (quercetin) while others had unique compounds. Statement of novelty It is the first time that crude polar phytochemicals from South African plants are used as green chelators. These green chelators selectively remove iron(III), lead(II) and copper(II) from a mix of eight different base metal ions. Iron(III) can be selectively removed at pH as low as 3.00 and, when iron(III) and lead(II) are 10 times more dilute compared to the other metal ions, iron(III) and lead(II) are still selectively removed. Liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) is used to identify some of the phytochemicals present in these plants.

Deep Eutectic Solvent-Based Microextraction of Lead(II) Traces from Water and Aqueous Extracts before FAAS Measurements

Microextraction procedures for the separation of Pb(II) from water and food samples extracts were developed. A deep eutectic solvent composed of α-benzoin oxime and iron(III) chloride dissolved in phenol was applied as a phase separator support. In addition, this deep eutectic mixture worked as an efficient extractor of Pb(II). The developed microextraction process showed a high ability to tolerate the common coexisting ions in the real samples. The optimum conditions for quantitative recoveries of Pb(II) from aqueous extracts were at pH 2.0, conducted by adding 150 µL from the deep eutectic solvent. The quantitative recoveries were obtained with various initial sample volumes up to 30 mL. Limits of detection and limits of quantification of 0.008 and 0.025 µg L^-1 were achieved with a relative standard deviation (RSD%) of 2.9, which indicates the accuracy and sensitivity of the developed procedure. Recoveries from the reference materials, including TMDA 64.2, TMDA 53.3, and NCSDC-73349, were 100%, 97%, and 102%, respectively. Real samples, such as tap, lake, and river water, as well as food samples, including salted peanuts, chickpeas, roasted yellow corn, pistachios, and almonds, were successfully applied for Pb(II) analysis by atomic absorption spectroscopy (AAS) after applying the developed deep eutectic solvent-based microextraction procedures.

Tetrel Bonding and Other Non-Covalent Interactions Assisted Supramolecular Aggregation in a New Pb(II) Complex of an Isonicotinohydrazide

A new supramolecular Pb(II) complex [PbL(NO₂)]_n was synthesized from Pb(NO₃)₂, N’-(1-(pyridin-2-yl)ethylidene)isonicotinohydrazide (HL) and NaNO₂. [PbL(NO₂)]_n is constructed from discrete [PbL(NO₂)] units with an almost ideal N₂O₃ square pyramidal coordination environment around Pb(II). The ligand L⁻ is coordinated through the 2-pyridyl N-atom, one aza N-atom, and the carbonyl O-atom. The nitrite ligand binds in a κ²-O,O coordination mode through both O-atoms. The Pb(II) center exhibits a hemidirected coordination geometry with a pronounced coordination gap, which allows a close approach of two additional N-atoms arising from the N=C(O) N-atom of an adjacent molecule and from the 4-pyridyl N-atom from the another adjacent molecule, yielding a N₄O₃ coordination, constructed from two Pb–N and three Pb–O covalent bonds, and two Pb⋯N tetrel bonds. Dimeric units in the structure of [PbL(NO₂)]_n are formed by the Pb⋯N=C(O) tetrel bonds and intermolecular electrostatically enforced π⁺⋯π⁻ stacking interactions between the 2- and 4-pyridyl rings and further stabilized by C–H⋯π intermolecular interactions, formed by one of the methyl H-atoms and the 4-pyridyl ring. These dimers are embedded in a 2D network representing a simplified uninodal 3-connected fes (Shubnikov plane net) topology defined by the point symbol (4∙8²). The Hirshfeld surface analysis of [PbL(NO₂)] revealed that the intermolecular H⋯X (X = H, C, N, O) contacts occupy an overwhelming majority of the molecular surface of the [PbL(NO₂)] coordination unit. Furthermore, the structure is characterized by intermolecular C⋯C and C⋯N interactions, corresponding to the intermolecular π⋯π stacking interactions. Notably, intermolecular Pb⋯N and, most interestingly, Pb⋯H interactions are remarkable contributors to the molecular surface of [PbL(NO₂)]. While the former contacts are due to the Pb⋯N tetrel bonds, the latter contacts are mainly due to the interaction with the methyl H-atoms in the π⋯π stacked [PbL(NO₂)] molecules. Molecular electrostatic potential (MEP) surface calculations showed marked electrostatic contributions to both the Pb⋯N tetrel bonds and the dimer forming π⁺⋯π⁻ stacking interactions. Quantum theory of atoms in molecules (QTAIM) analyses underlined the tetrel bonding character of the Pb⋯N interactions. The manifold non-covalent interactions found in this supramolecular assembly are the result of the proper combination of the polyfunctional multidentate pyridine-hydrazide ligand and the small nitrito auxiliary ligand.

Efficient Selective Removal of Pb(II) by Using 6-Aminothiouracil-Modified Zr-Based Organic Frameworks: From Experiments to Mechanisms

We report an efficient, reusable, and selective 6-aminothiouracil (ATA)-modified Zr(IV)-based adsorbent (defined as UiO-66-ATA(Zr)) for lead ion removal in water. The adsorption equilibrium time and the maximum sorption capacity of UiO-66-ATA(Zr) for Pb(II) are, respectively, 120 min and 386.98 mg/g at pH 4 and 298 K. The Pb(II) removal rate reaches 96% at 60 min and exceeds 99% at the equilibrium state in the pH range of 2.0-5.8. Hill and pseudo-second-order models can well describe the sorption process. Pb(II) adsorbing onto UiO-66-ATA(Zr) is an irreversible, favorable chemisorption process with multimolecule participation and film diffusion control. The calculations of density functional theory, the experimental results, and the characterization analyses suggest that the binding mechanisms are the chelation and ion-exchange/electrostatic interactions between hydroxyl/amino/sulfhydryl groups of UiO-66-ATA(Zr) and Pb(II). Besides, UiO-66-ATA(Zr) has a better affinity to Pb(II) than the coexisting ions in water and an excellent repeatability at eight cycles of adsorption. Moreover, the thermodynamic study shows that UiO-66-ATA(Zr) adsorbing Pb(II) is an endothermic reaction. Thus, UiO-66-ATA(Zr) is a prospective sorbent for Pb(II) removal under the initiative of environmental protection and water purification, and this work may also provide an idea for industrial catalysis.

Coordination polymers of CdII and PbII derived from bipyridine-glycoluril: influence of metal-ion size and counter-ions

Two new one-dimensional (1D) coordination polymers (CPs), namely catena-poly[[[aquacadmium(II)]-bis(μ-4b,5,7,7a-tetrahydro-4b,7a-epiminomethanoimino-6H-imidazo[4,5-f][1,10]phenanthroline-6,13-dione)] bis(perchlorate) dihydrate], {[Cd(C₁₄H₁₀N₆O₂)₂(H₂O)](ClO₄)₂·2H₂O}_n or {[Cd(BPG)₂(H₂O)](ClO₄)₂·2H₂O}_n, 1, and catena-poly[[lead(II)-bis(μ-4b,5,7,7a-tetrahydro-4b,7a-epiminomethanoimino-6H-imidazo[4,5-f][1,10]phenanthroline-6,13-dione)] bis(perchlorate) dihydrate], {[Pb(C₁₄H₁₀N₆O₂)₂](ClO₄)₂·2H₂O}_n or {[Pb(BPG)₂](ClO₄)₂·2H₂O}_n, 2, have been synthesized using bipyridine-glycoluril (BPG; systematic name: 4b,5,7,7a-tetrahydro-4b,7a-epiminomethanoimino-6H-imidazo[4,5-f][1,10]phenanthroline-6,13-dione), a urea-fused tecton, in a mixed-solvent system. The Cd^II ion in 1 is heptacoordinated and the Pb^II ion in 2 is hexacoordinated, with the Cd^II ion adopting a pentagonal bipyramidal geometry and the Pb^II ion adopting a distorted octahedral geometry. Both CPs form infinite linear chain structures which are hydrogen bonded to each other leading to the formation of three-dimensional supramolecular network structures. Topological analysis of CPs 1 and 2 reveals that the structures exhibit 1D chain-like arrangements in an AB-AB sequence and shows platonic uniform 2-connected uninodal topologies. Furthermore, a comparative analysis of a series of structures based on the BPG ligand indicates that the size of the metal ion and the types of counter-ions used have a great influence on the resulting frameworks and properties.

A novel fluorescent sensor based on electrosynthesized benzene sulfonic acid-doped polypyrrole for determination of Pb(II) and Cu(II)

To develop conducting organic polymers (COPs) as luminescent sensors for determination of toxic heavy metals, a new benzene sulfonic acid-doped polypyrrole (PPy-BSA) thin film was electrochemically prepared by cyclic voltammetry (CV) on flexible indium tin oxide (ITO) electrode in aqueous solution. PPy-BSA film was characterized by FTIR spectrometry, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The optical properties of PPy-BSA were investigated by ultraviolet (UV)-visible absorption and fluorescence spectrometry in dimethylsulfoxide (DMSO) diluted solutions. PPy-BSA fluorescence spectra were strongly quenched upon increasing copper(II) ion (Cu²⁺ ) and lead(II) ion (Pb²⁺ ) concentrations in aqueous medium, and linear Stern-Volmer relationships were obtained, which indicated the existence of a main dynamic fluorescence quenching mechanism. BSA-PPy sensor showed a high sensitivity for detection of both metallic ions, Cu²⁺ and Pb²⁺ , with very low limit of detection values of 3.1 and 18.0 nM, respectively. The proposed quenching-fluorimetric sensor might be applied to the determination of traces of toxic heavy metallic ions in water samples.

Sorption of Cu(II), Zn(II) and Pb(II) Ions in an Aqueous Solution on the PVC-Acetylacetone Composites

The possibility of removing Cu(II), Zn(II) and Pb(II) ions by sorption on new PVC-based composite materials with different contents of acetylacetone (acac) and porophor was investigated. Composites were characterized using a scanning electron microscope and by infrared spectral analysis (FTIR). Sorption tests were conducted at 20 °C. It has been shown that the equilibrium is established in about 4 h. The reduction in ion concentration in the solution depended on the content of both acac and porophor in the composite. The maximal reduction in ion concentration ranged from 8% to 91%, 10–85% and 6–50% for Cu(II), Zn(II) and Pb(II) ions, respectively, depending on the composite composition. The best results were obtained for the composite containing 30% w/w of acac and 10% of porophor. For this composite, the sorption capacity after 4 h sorption for Zn(II), Cu(II) and Pb(II) ions was 26.65, 25.40, and 49.68 mg/g, respectively. Kinetic data were best fitted with a pseudo–second-order equation.

A two-dimensional organic-inorganic hybrid perovskite-type semiconductor: poly[(2-azaniumylethyl)trimethylphosphanium [tetra-μ-bromido-plumbate(II)]]

Recently, with the prevalence of `perovskite fever', organic-inorganic hybrid perovskites (OHPs) have attracted intense attention due to their remarkable structural variability and highly tunable properties. In particular, the optical and electrical properties of organic-inorganic hybrid lead halides are typical of the OHP family. Besides, although three-dimensional hybrid perovskites, such as [CH₃NH₃]PbX₃ (X = Cl, Br or I), have been reported, the development of new organic-inorganic hybrid semiconductors is still an area in urgent need of exploration. Here, an organic-inorganic hybrid lead halide perovskite is reported, namely poly[(2-azaniumylethyl)trimethylphosphanium [tetra-μ-bromido-plumbate(II)]], {(C₅H₁₆NP)[PbBr₄]}_n, in which an organic cation is embedded in inorganic two-dimensional (2D) mesh layers to produce a sandwich structure. This unique sandwich 2D hybrid perovskite material shows an indirect band gap of ∼2.700 eV. The properties of this compound as a semiconductor are demonstrated by a series of optical characterizations and indicate potential applications for optical devices.

25: Process Optimization and Mechanism

In the present work, Arthrobacter sp. 25, a lead-tolerant bacterium, was assayed to remove lead(II) from aqueous solution. The biosorption process was optimized by response surface methodology (RSM) based on the Box-Behnken design. The relationships between dependent and independent variables were quantitatively determined by second-order polynomial equation and 3D response surface plots. The biosorption mechanism was explored by characterization of the biosorbent before and after biosorption using atomic force microscopy (AFM), scanning electron microscopy, energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. The results showed that the maximum adsorption capacity of 9.6 mg/g was obtained at the initial lead ion concentration of 108.79 mg/l, pH value of 5.75, and biosorbent dosage of 9.9 g/l (fresh weight), which was close to the theoretically expected value of 9.88 mg/g. Arthrobacter sp. 25 is an ellipsoidalshaped bacterium covered with extracellular polymeric substances. The biosorption mechanism involved physical adsorption and microprecipitation as well as ion exchange, and functional groups such as phosphoryl, hydroxyl, amino, amide, carbonyl, and phosphate groups played vital roles in adsorption. The results indicate that Arthrobacter sp. 25 may be potentially used as a biosorbent for low-concentration lead(II) removal from wastewater.

Crystal structures of three lead(II) acetate-bridged di-amino-benzene coordination polymers

The structures of three lead(II) coordination polymers are reported. One exhibits a two-dimensional structure, whereas the other two are one-dimensional. All three exhibit bidentate bridging acetate and monodentate benzene-1,2-di­amine ligands. The extended structures reveal extensive hydrogen-bonding networks involving the di­amine and acetate ligands.

Poly[tris­(acetato-κ²O,O′)(μ₂-acetato-κ³O,O′:O)tetra­kis­(μ₃-acetato-κ⁴O,O′:O:O′)bis­(benzene-1,2-di­amine-κN)tetra­lead(II)], [Pb₄(CH₃COO)₈(C₆H₈N₂)₂]_n, (I), poly[(acetato-κ²O,O′)(μ₃-acetato-κ⁴O,O′:O:O′)(4-chloro­benzene-1,2-diamine-κN)lead(II)], [Pb(CH₃COO)₂(C₆H₇ClN₂)]_n, (II), and poly[(κ²O,O′)(μ₃-acetato-κ⁴O,O′:O:O′)(3,4-di­amino­benzo­nitrile-κN)lead(II)], [Pb(CH₃COO)₂(C₇H₇N₃)]_n, (III), have polymeric structures in which monomeric units are joined by bridging acetate ligands. All of the Pb^II ions exhibit hemidirected coordination. The repeating unit in (I) is composed of four Pb^II ions having O₆, O₆N, O₇ and O₆N coordination spheres, respectively, where N represents a monodentate benzene-1,2-di­amine ligand and O acetate O atoms. Chains along [010] are joined by bridging acetate ligands to form planes parallel to (10-1). (II) and (III) are isotypic and have one Pb^II ion in the asymmetric unit that has an O₆N coordination sphere. Pb₂O₂ units result from a symmetry-imposed inversion center. Polymeric chains parallel to [100] exhibit hydrogen bonding between the amine and acetate ligands. In (III), additional hydrogen bonds between cyano groups and non-coordinating amines join the chains by forming R₂²(14) rings.