Analysis of Copper(II), Cobalt(II) and Iron(III) Sorption in Binary and Ternary Systems by Chitosan-Based Composite Sponges Obtained by Ice-Segregation Approach

Abstract

With the intensive industrial activity worldwide, water pollution by heavy metal ions (HMIs) has become a serious issue that requires strict and careful monitoring, as they are extremely toxic and can cause serious hazards to the environment and human health. Thus, the effective and efficient removal of HMIs still remains a challenge that needs to be solved. In this context, copper(II), cobalt(II) and iron(III) sorption by chitosan (CS)-based composite sponges was systematically investigated in binary and ternary systems. The composites sponges, formed into beads, consisting of ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA)- or diethylenetriaminepentaacetic acid (DTPA)-functionalized CS, entrapping a natural zeolite (Z), were prepared through an ice-segregation technique. The HMI sorption performance of these cryogenically structured composite materials was assessed through batch experiments. The HMI sorption capacities of CSZ-EDTA and CSZ-DTPA composite sponges were compared to those of unmodified sorbents. The Fe(III) ions were mainly taken up when they were in two-component mixtures with Co(II) ions at pH 4, whereas Cu(II) ions were preferred when they were in two-component mixtures with Co(II) ions at pH 6. The recycling studies indicated almost unchanged removal efficiency for all CS-based composite sorbents even after the fifth cycle of sorption/desorption, supporting their remarkable chemical stability and recommending them for the treatment of HMI-containing wastewaters.

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

“…Preparation of graphene oxide/chitosan (GO/CS) composites as new promising sorbent materials for removal of heavy metal ions, dyes and other organic molecules from aquatic environment is presented in paper [ 169 , 170 ]. Sorption of copper (II), cobalt (II) and iron (III) ions, using chitosan composite sponges prepared by ice-segregation procedure, was studied for purification of waste water [ 171 ]. It has been determined that iron (III) ions were mainly adsorbed from two-component mixtures with cobalt (II) ions at pH = 4, whereas copper (II) ions were removed from two-component mixtures with cobalt (II) ions at pH = 6.…”

Polysaccharide-Based Composite Hydrogels as Sustainable Materials for Removal of Pollutants from Wastewater

“…This behavior was associated with the existence of pre-organized recognition sites along with a highly interconnected porous morphology within the sorbents structure. Furthermore, as the industrial wastewater comprise mixtures of a broader variety of heavy metal ions, our group also evaluated the adsorption capacity of CS/CPL composite sorbents for Cu(II) ions from ternary or five-component synthetic mixtures with Zn(II), Ni(II), Fe(III), and Cr(III) ions [ 171 , 172 , 173 ]. It was shown that the removal efficiency of HMIs from their aqueous mixtures strongly depended on several characteristic parameters of the aqueous media, such as the presence of other contaminants or competing species, ionic strength, temperature, and pH [ 171 , 172 , 173 ].…”

“…Furthermore, as the industrial wastewater comprise mixtures of a broader variety of heavy metal ions, our group also evaluated the adsorption capacity of CS/CPL composite sorbents for Cu(II) ions from ternary or five-component synthetic mixtures with Zn(II), Ni(II), Fe(III), and Cr(III) ions [ 171 , 172 , 173 ]. It was shown that the removal efficiency of HMIs from their aqueous mixtures strongly depended on several characteristic parameters of the aqueous media, such as the presence of other contaminants or competing species, ionic strength, temperature, and pH [ 171 , 172 , 173 ]. The overall sorption tendency of CS/CPL sorbents toward Cu(II) ions in the presence of Zn(II), Ni(II), Fe(III), and Cr(III) ions, under competitive conditions, followed the order: Cu(II) > Fe(III) > Ni(II) > Zn(II) > Cr(III) with distribution coefficients values of 4.23, 2.74, 1.43, and 55.9.…”

TEGylated Phenothiazine-Imine-Chitosan Materials as a Promising Framework for Mercury Recovery

“…In line with this requirement, eco-materials based on biopolymers, able to detect and recover heavy metals, constituted the base of new materials designed to detect or recover mercury. Cellulose-, lignin-, chitosan-, or peptide-based hydrogels/xerogels proved to have a high ability to bond mercury, encouraging their deeper consideration, in order to create high-performance adsorbent materials [ 23 , 25 , 26 , 27 , 28 , 29 , 30 , 31 , 32 , 33 , 34 ]. It was established that polysaccharides are excellent sorbents for heavy metals thanks to their ability to develop physical and electrostatic forces, which can be further improved by grafting moieties capable of coordinating metals.…”