Activated carbon (AC) has been widely utilized for the adsorption of pollutants from water. However, it is difficult to recycle the AC after adsorption. In this paper, we report a facile one-pot approach to fabricate magnetic poly(vinyl alcohol)/AC composite gel (mPVA/AC CG) by dropwise addition of an aqueous mixture of PVA, AC and iron ions into the ammonia solution. The obtained mPVA/AC CG after freeze-drying shows porous microstructure and favorable magnetic properties. The utilization of mPVA/AC CG for adsorptive removal of methylene blue (MB) and methyl orange (MO) dyes from water was investigated. The mPVA/AC CG not only exhibited good adsorption performance for both MB and MO dyes but also could be readily recycled using a magnet after adsorption. The adsorption process was well described by the pseudo-second-order kinetic model and the Langmuir isotherm model. Considering the simple fabrication process, good adsorption performance and favorable magnetic separation capability, this work provides a viable strategy for combining the features of AC and magnetic gel for fabrication of applicable magnetic adsorbent.
Inverse vulcanization of cheap elemental sulfur (S) to prepare polymers that simultaneously possess high sulfur content and good solubility is still in its infancy. In this paper, the authors report the synthesis of a novel S‐rosin (Ro) copolymer (Sx‐Ro) based on the inverse vulcanization of S with natural Ro. The sulfur content of Sx‐Ro can be regulated in a wide range, while Sx‐Ro still presents excellent solubility in low boiling point solvents at high sulfur content. Even if the sulfur content in Sx‐Ro is as high as 50%, its solubility in tetrahydrofuran (THF) can still reach 26 mg mL−1. Moreover, the Sx‐Ro exhibits excellent ultraviolet (UV) absorption capability in the entire UV region (200–400 nm) and can be utilized as an effective anti‐UV agent to enhance the UV‐blocking performance of other polymers (e.g., polymethyl methacrylate [PMMA] and polystyrene [PS]) without compromise of transparency and thermal stability. Considering the fine solubility and superior UV‐blocking properties of Sx‐Ro, this work not only provides a versatile and effective anti‐UV material but also opens new opportunities for value‐added utilization of abundant S and Ro resources.
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