Water pollutants
existing in their oxyanion forms have high solubility
and environmental mobility. To capture these anionic pollutants, cost-effective
inorganic materials with cationic frameworks and outstanding removal
performance are ideal adsorbents. Herein, we report that two-dimensional
(2D) cationic aluminoborate BAC(10) sets a new paradigm for highly
selective and efficient capture of Cr(VI) and other oxyanions from
aqueous solution. The structure of Cr(VI)-exchanged BAC(10) sample
(Cr(VI)@BAC(10), H
0.22
·Al
2
BO
4.3
·(HCrO
4
)
0.22
·2.64H
2
O)
has been successfully solved by continuous rotation electron diffraction.
The crystallographic data show that the 2D cationic layer of BAC(10)
is built by AlO
6
octahedra, BO
4
tetrahedra,
and BO
3
triangles. Partial chromate ions exchanged with
Cl
–
ions are located within the interlayer region,
which are chemically bonded to the aluminoborate layer. BAC(10) shows
faster adsorption kinetics compared to the commercial anion exchange
resin (AER) and layered double hydroxides (LDHs), a higher maximum
adsorption capacity of 139.1 mg/g than that of AER (62.77 mg/g), LDHs
(81.43 mg/g), and a vast majority of cationic MOFs, and a much broader
working pH range (2–10.5) than LDHs. Moreover, BAC(10) also
shows excellent Cr(VI) oxyanion removal performance for a solution
with a low concentration (1–10 mg/L), and the residual concentration
can be reduced to below 0.05 mg/L of the WHO drinking water criterion.
These superior properties indicate that BAC(10) is a promising material
for remediation of Cr(VI) and other harmful oxyanions from wastewater.