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Iron-Modified Alkaline Lignin Chitosan Aerogel Microspheres for Sb(III) Removal in Water

Summary

Researchers developed a new material made from iron, lignin (a plant-derived substance), and chitosan that can effectively remove poisonous antimony from contaminated water. When tested, this material successfully removed over 95% of antimony from water samples and could be reused multiple times. The material works by creating chemical bonds with antimony molecules, trapping them on its surface. This environmentally friendly solution could help treat industrial wastewater containing multiple types of heavy metals.

Background

Antimony (Sb) is a toxic heavy metal widely used in battery, ammunition, and semiconductor production that poses significant threats to ecosystems and human health. Sb(III) is particularly concerning due to its high mobility and biotoxicity. Traditional wastewater treatment methods have limitations including high costs, secondary pollution, and poor selectivity.

Objective

To develop an iron-modified alkaline lignin chitosan (Fe-ALCS) aerogel microsphere material for efficient removal of Sb(III) from aqueous solutions. The study aims to explore the adsorption mechanism and environmental factors affecting Sb(III) removal performance.

Results

Under optimal conditions (pH=3, m/v=1.0 g/L, C0=20 mg/L), the Fe-ALCS material achieved 95.07% removal efficiency with maximum adsorption capacity of 266.58 mg/g by Langmuir model fitting. The material maintained 86.8% removal efficiency after five adsorption-desorption cycles. The adsorption mechanism involves ligand exchange between Fe-O(OH) surface sites and Sb(OH)3, forming stable Fe-O-Sb coordination structures.

Conclusion

Fe-ALCS is an environmentally friendly, renewable biomass adsorbent with excellent potential for wastewater treatment, particularly for antimony removal. The material demonstrates superior adsorption capacity compared to other modified adsorbents and shows promise for treating multi-metal contaminated wastewater containing As(III), Cr(VI), and Cu(II).
  • Published in:Molecules,
  • Study Type:Experimental Research,
  • Source: PMID: 41157085
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