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Application of Sorption Materials in Environment

A special issue of Molecules (ISSN 1420-3049). This special issue belongs to the section "Green Chemistry".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 May 2020) | Viewed by 34897

Special Issue Editors


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Guest Editor
Institut Mines Telecom - Mines Ales, C2MA - Centre des Matériaux des Mines d'Alès, Polymères, Hybrides et Composites (PCH), 6, Avenue de Clavières, CEDEX, F30319 Alès, France
Interests: biopolymers (alginate, chitosan); interactions of sorbents/biosorbents with metal ions (wastewater treatment and valorization of mineral resources); bio-based advanced materials (heterogeneous catalysis, antimicrobial surfaces, fire-retardant properties); shaping and conditioning of biopolymers
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“Petru Poni” Institute of Macromolecular Chemistry, Grigore Ghica Voda Alley 41 A, 700487 Iasi, Romania
Interests: obtain new macromolecular architectures or ionic composites with applications in environment protection, medicine, cosmetics, food industry; functionalize and diversify the applications of some polysaccharides; obtain new soluble polyelectrolytes or some (organic or hybrid) ion exchangers with specific applications in environment protection; obtain new synthetic ionic polymers to be used as biocatalizers and insoluble organic catalizers or in the processes of retaining various organic and inorganic pollutants
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear colleagues,

This Special Issue is focused on the synthesis of novel and highly efficient sorption materials and their application in the cleaning of the environment. Researchers working in this “hot” field are warmly invited to contribute with their research papers or reviews on the design, fabrication, and evaluation of the performances of the novel sorption materials, which should be endowed with selectivity, versatility, reusability, mechanical strength, and smart materials which are responsive to various external stimuli.

The range of materials is widely open, going from bio-based resources to synthetic polymers, and includes inorganic compounds (alone or associated as composites). Contributions containing both chemical engineering (with applications to synthetic and real effluents) and material sciences (characterization methods: physical and chemical) aspects are very welcome. Insights on the modeling approach will also be appreciated (with attention focused on equilibrium, mass transfer, batch, and column systems).

Dr. Eric Guibal
Dr. Ecaterina Stela Dragan
Guest Editors

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Keywords

  • Composite biosorbents
  • Sorption
  • Composite ion exchangers
  • Dyes
  • Heavy metal ions
  • Sorbent life
  • Interactions of metal ions with sorbents for advanced materials
  • Material characterization
  • Sorption modeling

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Published Papers (8 papers)

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Research

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17 pages, 5052 KiB  
Article
Rational Design of Polyamine-Based Cryogels for Metal Ion Sorption
by Irina Malakhova, Yuliya Privar, Yuliya Parotkina, Aleksandr Mironenko, Marina Eliseikina, Denis Balatskiy, Alexey Golikov and Svetlana Bratskaya
Molecules 2020, 25(20), 4801; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules25204801 - 19 Oct 2020
Cited by 10 | Viewed by 2634
Abstract
Here we report the method of fabrication of supermacroporous monolith sorbents (cryogels) via covalent cross-linking of polyallylamine (PAA) with diglycidyl ether of 1,4-butandiol. Using comparative analysis of the permeability and sorption performance of the obtained PAA cryogels and earlier developed polyethyleneimine (PEI) cryogels, [...] Read more.
Here we report the method of fabrication of supermacroporous monolith sorbents (cryogels) via covalent cross-linking of polyallylamine (PAA) with diglycidyl ether of 1,4-butandiol. Using comparative analysis of the permeability and sorption performance of the obtained PAA cryogels and earlier developed polyethyleneimine (PEI) cryogels, we have demonstrated the advantages and disadvantages of these polymers as sorbents of heavy metal ions (Cu(II), Zn(II), Cd(II), and Ni(II)) in fixed-bed applications and as supermacroporous matrices for the fabrication of composite cryogels containing copper ferrocyanide (CuFCN) for cesium ion sorption. Applying the rate constant distribution (RCD) model to the kinetic curves of Cu(II) ion sorption on PAA and PEI cryogels, we have elucidated the difference in sorption/desorption rates and affinity constants of these materials and showed that physical sorption contributed to the Cu(II) uptake by PAA, but not to that by PEI cryogels. It was shown that PAA cryogels had significantly higher selectivity for Cu(II) sorption in the presence of Zn(II) and Cd(II) ions in comparison with that of PEI cryogels, while irreversible sorption of Co(II) ions by PEI can be used for the separation of Ni(II) and Co(II) ions. Using IR and Mössbauer spectroscopy, we have demonstrated that strong complexation of Cu(II) ions with PEI significantly affects the in situ formation of Cu(II) ferrocyanide nanosorbents leading to their inefficiency for Cs+ ions selective uptake, whereas PAA cryogel was applicable for the fabrication of efficient monolith composites via the in situ formation of CuFCN or loading of ex situ formed CuFCN colloids. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Application of Sorption Materials in Environment)
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25 pages, 7306 KiB  
Article
Recovery of Lanthanum(III) and Nickel(II) Ions from Acidic Solutions by the Highly Effective Ion Exchanger
by Dorota Kołodyńska, Dominika Fila and Zbigniew Hubicki
Molecules 2020, 25(16), 3718; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules25163718 - 14 Aug 2020
Cited by 11 | Viewed by 2755
Abstract
The recovery of La(III) and Ni(II) ions by a macroporous cation exchanger in sodium form (Lewatit Monoplus SP112) has been studied in batch experiments under varying HNO3 concentrations (0.2–2.0 mol/dm3), La(III) and Ni(II) concentrations (25–200 mg/dm3), phase contact [...] Read more.
The recovery of La(III) and Ni(II) ions by a macroporous cation exchanger in sodium form (Lewatit Monoplus SP112) has been studied in batch experiments under varying HNO3 concentrations (0.2–2.0 mol/dm3), La(III) and Ni(II) concentrations (25–200 mg/dm3), phase contact time (1–360 min), temperature (293–333 K), and resin mass (0.1–0.5 g). The experimental data revealed that the sorption process was dependent on all parameters used. The maximum sorption capacities were found at CHNO3 = 0.2 mol/dm3, m = 0.1 g, and T = 333 K. The kinetic data indicate that the sorption followed the pseudo-second order and film diffusion models. The sorption equilibrium time was reached at approximately 30 and 60 min for La(III) and Ni(II) ions, respectively. The equilibrium isotherm data were best fitted with the Langmuir model. The maximum monolayer capacities of Lewatit Monoplus SP112 were equal to 95.34 and 60.81 mg/g for La(III) and Ni(II) ions, respectively. The thermodynamic parameters showed that the sorption process was endothermic and spontaneous. Moreover, dynamic experiments were performed using the columns set. The resin regeneration was made using HCl and HNO3 solutions, and the desorption results exhibited effective regeneration. The ATR/FT-IR and XPS spectroscopy results indicated that the La(III) and Ni(II) ions were coordinated with the sulfonate groups. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Application of Sorption Materials in Environment)
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16 pages, 2928 KiB  
Article
Selection of the Activated Carbon Type for the Treatment of Landfill Leachate by Fenton-Adsorption Process
by Liliana San-Pedro, Roger Méndez-Novelo, Emanuel Hernández-Núñez, Manuel Flota-Bañuelos, Jorge Medina and Germán Giacomán-Vallejos
Molecules 2020, 25(13), 3023; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules25133023 - 2 Jul 2020
Cited by 19 | Viewed by 3613
Abstract
Sanitary landfill leachates usually have characteristics that depend on the region where they are generated and according to the age of the landfill, which is why a unique treatment for their sanitation has not been found. However, the adsorption preceded by the Fenton [...] Read more.
Sanitary landfill leachates usually have characteristics that depend on the region where they are generated and according to the age of the landfill, which is why a unique treatment for their sanitation has not been found. However, the adsorption preceded by the Fenton process has been proven to be highly efficient at removing contaminants. In this study, the adsorptive capacity of two types of activated carbon, granular and powdered, was analyzed to determine which was more efficient in the adsorption stage in the Fenton-adsorption process. Likewise, its behavior was analyzed using three isotherm models (Langmuir, Freundlich and Temkin), testing the raw leachate and the Fenton-treated one with both carbons. The adsorption that is carried out on the carbons is better adjusted to the Freundlich and Temkin models. It concludes that multilayers, through the physical adsorption, carry out the adsorption of pollutants on the surface of the carbons. The results show that, statistically, granular activated carbon is more efficient at removing chemical oxygen demand (COD), and powdered activated carbon removes color better. Finally, an adsorption column was designed for the Fenton-adsorption process that was able to remove 21.68 kgCOD/kg carbon. Removal efficiencies for color and COD were >99%. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Application of Sorption Materials in Environment)
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18 pages, 3652 KiB  
Article
A Comparative Study on Cu2+, Zn2+, Ni2+, Fe3+, and Cr3+ Metal Ions Removal from Industrial Wastewaters by Chitosan-Based Composite Cryogels
by Doina Humelnicu, Ecaterina Stela Dragan, Maria Ignat and Maria Valentina Dinu
Molecules 2020, 25(11), 2664; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules25112664 - 8 Jun 2020
Cited by 27 | Viewed by 4514
Abstract
Materials coming from renewable resources have drawn recently an increased attention in various applications as an eco-friendly alternative in the synthesis of novel functional materials. Polysaccharides, with their prominent representative – chitosan (CS), are well-known for their sorption properties, being able to remove [...] Read more.
Materials coming from renewable resources have drawn recently an increased attention in various applications as an eco-friendly alternative in the synthesis of novel functional materials. Polysaccharides, with their prominent representative – chitosan (CS), are well-known for their sorption properties, being able to remove metal ions from dilute solutions either by electrostatic interactions or chelation. In this context, we proposed here a comparative study on Cu2+, Zn2+, Ni2+, Fe3+, and Cr3+ metal ions removal from industrial wastewaters by CS-based composite cryogels using batch technique. The composite cryogels consisting of CS embedding a natural zeolite, namely clinoptilolite, were synthesized by cryogelation, and their sorption performance were compared to those of CS cryogels and of acid-activated zeolite. A deeper analysis of thermodynamics and kinetics sorption data was performed to get insights into the sorption mechanism of all metal ions onto sorbents. Based on the optimized sorption conditions, the removal of the above-mentioned ions from aqueous solutions by the composite sorbent using dynamic technique was also evaluated. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Application of Sorption Materials in Environment)
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15 pages, 3161 KiB  
Article
Solubility and Selectivity Effects of the Anion on the Adsorption of Different Heavy Metal Ions onto Chitosan
by Janek Weißpflog, Alexander Gündel, David Vehlow, Christine Steinbach, Martin Müller, Regine Boldt, Simona Schwarz and Dana Schwarz
Molecules 2020, 25(11), 2482; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules25112482 - 27 May 2020
Cited by 34 | Viewed by 4630
Abstract
The biopolymer chitosan is a very efficient adsorber material for the removal of heavy metal ions from aqueous solutions. Due to the solubility properties of chitosan it can be used as both a liquid adsorber and a solid flocculant for water treatment reaching [...] Read more.
The biopolymer chitosan is a very efficient adsorber material for the removal of heavy metal ions from aqueous solutions. Due to the solubility properties of chitosan it can be used as both a liquid adsorber and a solid flocculant for water treatment reaching outstanding adsorption capacities for a number of heavy metal ions. However, the type of anion corresponding to the investigated heavy metal ions has a strong influence on the adsorption capacity and sorption mechanism on chitosan. In this work, the adsorption capacity of the heavy metal ions manganese, iron, cobalt, nickel, copper, and zinc were investigated in dependence on their corresponding anions sulfate, chloride, and nitrate by batch experiments. The selectivity of the different heavy metal ions was analyzed by column experiments. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Application of Sorption Materials in Environment)
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19 pages, 2527 KiB  
Article
Contribution of Cross-Linker and Silica Morphology on Cr(VI) Sorption Performances of Organic Anion Exchangers Embedded into Silica Pores
by Ecaterina Stela Dragan and Doina Humelnicu
Molecules 2020, 25(5), 1249; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules25051249 - 10 Mar 2020
Cited by 10 | Viewed by 3168
Abstract
Removal of Cr(VI) from the environment represents a stringent issue because of its tremendous effects on living organisms. In this context, design of sorbents with high sorption capacity for Cr(VI) is getting a strong need. For this purpose, poly(vinylbenzyl chloride), impregnated into porous [...] Read more.
Removal of Cr(VI) from the environment represents a stringent issue because of its tremendous effects on living organisms. In this context, design of sorbents with high sorption capacity for Cr(VI) is getting a strong need. For this purpose, poly(vinylbenzyl chloride), impregnated into porous silica (PSi), was cross-linked with either N,N,N’,N’-tetramethyl-1,2-ethylenediamine (TEMED) or N,N,N’,N’-tetramethyl-1,3-propanediamine, followed by the reaction of the free -CH2Cl groups with N,N-diethyl-2-hydroxyethylamine to generate strong base anion exchangers (ANEX) inside the pores. The PSi/ANEX composite sorbents were deeply characterized by FTIR spectroscopy, SEM-energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), and water uptake. The sorption performances of composites against Cr(VI) were investigated as a function of pH, contact time, initial concentration of Cr(VI), and temperature. It was found that the cross-linker structure and the silica morphology are the key factors controlling the sorption capacity. The adsorption process was spontaneous and endothermic and well described by pseudo-second-order kinetic and Sips isotherm models. The maximum sorption capacity of 311.2 mg Cr(VI)/g sorbent was found for the composite prepared with mesoporous silica using TEMED as cross-linker. The PSi/ANEX composite sorbents represent an excellent alternative for the removal of Cr(VI) oxyanions, being endowed with fast kinetics, equilibrium in about 60 min, and a high level of reusability in successive sorption/desorption cycles. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Application of Sorption Materials in Environment)
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24 pages, 2015 KiB  
Article
Amidoxime Functionalization of Algal/Polyethyleneimine Beads for the Sorption of Sr(II) from Aqueous Solutions
by Yuezhou Wei, Khalid A. M. Salih, Siming Lu, Mohammed F. Hamza, Toyohisa Fujita, Thierry Vincent and Eric Guibal
Molecules 2019, 24(21), 3893; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules24213893 - 29 Oct 2019
Cited by 40 | Viewed by 3664
Abstract
There is a need for developing new sorbents that incorporate renewable resources for the treatment of metal-containing solutions. Algal-polyethyleneimine beads (APEI) (reinforced with alginate) are functionalized by grafting amidoxime groups (AO-APEI). Physicochemical characteristics of the new material are characterized using FTIR, XPS, TGA, [...] Read more.
There is a need for developing new sorbents that incorporate renewable resources for the treatment of metal-containing solutions. Algal-polyethyleneimine beads (APEI) (reinforced with alginate) are functionalized by grafting amidoxime groups (AO-APEI). Physicochemical characteristics of the new material are characterized using FTIR, XPS, TGA, SEM, SEM-EDX, and BET. AO-APEI beads are tested for the recovery of Sr(II) from synthetic solutions after pH optimization (≈ pH 6). Uptake kinetics is fast (equilibrium ≈ 60–90 min). Sorption isotherm (fitted by the Langmuir equation) shows remarkable sorption capacity (≈ 189 mg Sr g−1). Sr(II) is desorbed using 0.2 M HCl/0.5 M CaCl2 solution; sorbent recycling over five cycles shows high stability in terms of sorption/desorption performances. The presence of competitor cations is studied in relation to the pH; the selectivity for Sr(II) is correlated to the softness parameter. Finally, the recovery of Sr(II) is carried out in complex solutions (seawater samples): AO-APEI is remarkably selective over highly concentrated metal cations such as Na(I), K(I), Mg(II), and Ca(II), with weaker selectivity over B(I) and As(V). AO-APEI appears to be a promising material for selective recovery of strontium from complex solutions (including seawater). Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Application of Sorption Materials in Environment)
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Review

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23 pages, 3605 KiB  
Review
Polymer-Supported Phosphoric, Phosphonic and Phosphinic Acids—From Synthesis to Properties and Applications in Separation Processes
by Agnieszka Głowińska and Andrzej W. Trochimczuk
Molecules 2020, 25(18), 4236; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules25184236 - 15 Sep 2020
Cited by 17 | Viewed by 8892
Abstract
Efficient separation technologies are crucial to the environment and world economy. The challenge posed to scientists is how to engineer selectivity towards a targeted substrate, especially from multicomponent solutions. Polymer-supported reagents have gained a lot of attention in this context, as they eliminate [...] Read more.
Efficient separation technologies are crucial to the environment and world economy. The challenge posed to scientists is how to engineer selectivity towards a targeted substrate, especially from multicomponent solutions. Polymer-supported reagents have gained a lot of attention in this context, as they eliminate a lot of inconveniences concerning widely used solvent extraction techniques. Nevertheless, the choice of an appropriate ligand for immobilization may be derived from the behavior of soluble compounds under solvent extraction conditions. Organophosphorus compounds play a significant role in separation science and technology. The features they possess, such as variable oxidation states, multivalence, asymmetry and metal-binding properties, highlight their status as a unique and versatile class of compounds, capable of selective separations proceeding through different mechanisms. This review provides a detailed survey of polymers containing phosphoric, phosphonic and phosphinic acid functionalities in the side chain and covers main advances in the preparation and application of these materials in separation science, including the most relevant synthesis routes (Arbuzov, Perkow, Mannich, Kabachnik-Fields reactions, etc.), as well as the main stages in the development of organophosphorus resins and the most important achievements in the field. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Application of Sorption Materials in Environment)
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