Removal of phosphate by Fe-coordinated amino-functionalized 3D mesoporous silicates hybrid materials

Phosphate removal from aqueous waste streams is an important approach to control the eutrophication downstream bodies of water. A Fe(III) coordinated amino-functionalized silicate adsorbent for phosphate adsorption was synthesized by a post-grafting and metal cation incorporation process. The surface structure of the adsorbent was characterized by X-ray di raction, N2 adsoropion/desoprotion technique, and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. The experimental results showed that the adsorption equilibrium data were well fitted to the Langmuir equation. The maximum adsorption capacity of the modified silicate material was 51.8 mg/g. The kinetic data from the adsorption of phosphate were fitted to pseudo second-order model. The phosphate adsorption was highly pH dependent and the relatively high removal of phosphate fell within the pH range 3.0–6.0. The coexistence of other anions in solutions has an adverse e ect on phosphate adsorption; a decrease in adsorption capacity followed the order of exogenous anions: F?? > SO2?? 4 > NO??3 > Cl??. In addition, the adsorbed phosphate could be desorbed by NaOH solutions. This silicate adsorbent with a large adsorption capacity and relatively high selectivity could be utilized for the removal of phosphate from aqueous waste streams or in aquatic environment.     

Preparation of hydrophobic hierarchical pore carbon–silica composite and its adsorption performance toward volatile organic compounds

Carbon–silica materials with hierarchical pores consisting of micropores and mesopores were prepared by introducing nanocarbon microspheres derived from biomass sugar into silica gel channels in a hydrothermal environment.The physicochemical properties of the materials were characterized by nitrogen physical adsorption(BET),scanning electron microscopy(SEM),and thermogravimetric(TG),and the adsorption properties of various organic waste gases were investigated.The results showed that microporous carbon materials were introduced successfully into the silica gel channels,thus showing the high adsorption capacity of activated carbon in high humidity organic waste gas,and the high stability and mechanical strength of the silica gel.The dynamic adsorption behavior confirmed that the carbon–silica material had excellent adsorption capacity for different volatile organic compounds(VOCs).Furthermore,the carbon–silica material exhibited excellent desorption characteristics:adsorbed toluene was completely desorbed at 150℃,thereby showing superior regeneration characteristics.Both features were attributed to the formation of hierarchical pores.     

Phosphate removal from domestic wastewater using thermally modified steel slag

This study was performed to investigate the removal of phosphate from domestic wastewater using a modified steel slag as the adsorbent. The adsorption effects of alkalinity, salt, water,and thermal modification were investigated. The results showed that thermal activation at 800℃ for 1 hr was the optimum operation to improve the adsorption capacity. The adsorption process of the thermally modified slag was well described by the Elovich kinetic model and the Langmuir isotherm model. The maximum adsorption capacity calculated from the Langmuir model reached 13.62 mg/g. Scanning electron microscopy indicated that the surface of the modified slag was cracked and that the texture became loose after heating. The surface area and pore volume did not change after thermal modification. In the treatment of domestic wastewater, the modified slag bed(35.5 kg) removed phosphate effectively and operated for 158 days until the effluent P rose above the limit concentration of 0.5 mg/L. The phosphate fractionation method, which is often applied in soil research, was used to analyze the phosphate adsorption behavior in the slag bed. The analysis revealed that the total contents of various Ca–P forms accounted for 81.4%–91.1%, i.e., Ca10–P 50.6%–65.1%, Ca8–P 17.8%–25.0%,and Ca2–P 4.66%–9.20%. The forms of Al–P, Fe–P, and O–P accounted for only 8.9%–18.6%. The formation of Ca10–P precipitates was considered to be the main mechanism of phosphate removal in the thermally modified slag bed.     

A comparative study and evaluation of sulfamethoxazole adsorption onto organo-montmorillonites

Three organo-montmorillonites were prepared using surfactants, and their adsorption behaviors toward sulfamethoxazole（SMX） were investigated. The surfactants used were cetyltrimethyl ammonium bromide（CTMAB）, 3-（N,N-dimethylhexadecylammonio） propane sulfonate（HDAPS） and 1,3-bis（hexadecyldimethylammonio）-propane dibromide（BHDAP）. The properties of the organo-montmorillonites were characterized by X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy and N2adsorption–desorption isotherm measurements. Results showed that the interlayer spacing of montmorillonite was increased and the surface area as well as the morphology were changed. Batch adsorption experiments showed that the surfactant loading amount had a great effect on the adsorption of SMX. The adsorption process was p H dependent and the maximum adsorption capacity was obtained at p H 3 for HDAPS-Mt, while CTMAB-Mt and BHDAP-Mt showed a high removal efficiency at 3–11. The adsorption capacity increased with the initial SMX concentration and contact time but decreased with increasing solution ionic strength.Kinetic data were best described by the pseudo second-order model. Equilibrium data were best represented by the Langmuir model, and the Freundlich constant（n） indicated a favorable adsorption process. The maximum adsorption capacity of SMX was 235.29 mg/g for CTMAB-Mt, 155.28 mg/g for HDAPS-Mt and 242.72 mg/g for BHDAP-Mt. Thermodynamic parameters were calculated to evaluate the spontaneity and endothermic or exothermic nature. The adsorption mechanism was found to be dominated by electrostatic interaction,while hydrophobic interaction played a secondary role.     

Evaluation of natural goethite on the removal of arsenate and selenite from water

Elevated arsenic and selenium concentrations in water cause health problems to both humans and wildlife. Natural and anthropogenic activities have caused contamination of these elements in waters worldwide, making the development of efficient cost-effective methods in their removal essential. In this work, removal of arsenate and selenite from water by adsorption onto a natural goethite(α-FeO OH) sample was studied at varying conditions. The data was then compared with other arsenate, selenite/goethite adsorption systems as much of literature shows discrepancies due to varying adsorption conditions. Characterization of the goethite was completed using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry, X-ray diffraction, Fouriertransform infrared spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, and Brunauer–Emmett–Teller surface area analysis. Pseudo-first order(PFO) and pseudo-second order(PSO) kinetic models were applied; including comparisons of different regression methods. Various adsorption isotherm models were applied to determine the best fitting model and to compare adsorption capacitates with other works. Desorption/leaching of arsenate and selenite was studied though the addition of phosphate and hydroxyl ions. Langmuir isotherm modeling resulted in maximum adsorption capacities of 6.204 and 7.740 mg/g for arsenate and selenite adsorption,respectively. The PSO model applied with a non-linear regression resulted in the best kinetic fits for both adsorption and desorption of arsenate and selenite. Adsorption decreased with increasing pH. Phosphate induced desorption resulted in the highest percentage of arsenate and selenite desorbed, while hydroxide induced resulted in the fastest desorption kinetics.     

Efficient adsorption of Mn(Ⅱ) by layered double hydroxides intercalated with diethylenetriaminepentaacetic acid and the mechanistic study

In this study, greatly enhanced Mn(II) adsorption was achieved by as-synthesized diethylenetriaminepentaacetate acid intercalated Mg/Al layered double hydroxides(LDHsDTPA). The adsorption capacity of LDHs-DTPA was 83.5 mg/g, which is much higher than that of LDHs-EDTA(44.4 mg/g), LDHs-Oxalate(21.6 mg/g) and LDHs(28.8 mg/g). The adsorption data of aqueous Mn(II) using LDHs-DTPA could be well described by the pseudosecond order kinetics and Langmuir isotherm model. Thermodynamics study results also showed that the adsorption process of Mn(II) by LDHs-DTPA was exothermic as indicated by the negative ΔH value. Furthermore, based on the structural, morphological and thermostable features, as well as FT-IR and XPS characterizations of LDHs-DTPA and the pristine LDHs, the adsorption mechanism of Mn(II) was proposed. The carboxyl groups of DTPA were proposed to be the main binding sites for Mn(II), and the hydroxyl groups of LDHs also played a minor role in the adsorption process. Among the three common regeneration reagents, 0.1 mol/L Na_2CO_3 was the best for reusing LDHs-DTPA in Mn(II)adsorption. Besides, the Mn(II) adsorption performance could be hindered in the presence of typical inorganic ions, especially cations. Further specific modifications of LDHs-DTPA are suggested to get more selective adsorption of Mn(II) in practical applications.     

Adsorption of carbon dioxide on amine-modified TiO2 nanotubes

TiO2 nanotubes (TiNT) were prepared by a hydrothermal treatment and modified by three kinds of amines,namely ethylenediamine,polyetherimide and tetraethylenepentamine (TEPA),to study their CO2 adsorption properties from gas streams.The resultant samples were characterized by X-ray diffraction,transmission electron microscopy,and infrared spectroscopy,as well as low temperature N 2 adsorption.CO2 capture was investigated in a dynamic packed column at 30℃.TEPA-modified TiO2 nanotubes showed the highest adsorption capacity of 167.64 mg/g because it had the highest amino-group content among the three amines.CO2 fixation on TiNT impregnated by TEPA was investigated at 30,50,and 70℃,and the adsorption capacity increased slightly with temperature.Following the adsorption step,the sorbents were regenerated by temperature programmed desorption,and the TiNT-TEPA sample,as CO2 sorbent,was found to be readily regenerated and energy-efficient.The cycle test also revealed that the TiNT-TEPA adsorbent is fairly stable,with only a 5% drop in the adsorption capacity after 10 adsorption/desorption cycles.In addition,the CO2 adsorption behavior was investigated with the deactivation model,and which showed an excellent prediction for the TiNT-TEPA breakthrough curves.     

Adsorption of VOCs on reduced graphene oxide

A modified Hummer's method was adopted for the synthesis of graphene oxide(GO) and reduced graphene oxide(rGO). It was revealed that the modified method is effective for the production of GO and rGO from graphite. Transmission electron microscopy(TEM) images of GO and rGO showed a sheet-like morphology. Because of the presence of oxygenated functional groups on the carbon surface, the interlayer spacing of the prepared GO was higher than that of rGO. The presence of \OH and C_O groups in the Fourier transform infrared spectra(FTIR) spectrum and G-mode and 2D-mode in Raman spectra confirmed the synthesis of GO and rGO. rGO(292.6 m~2/g) showed higher surface area than that of GO(236.4 m~2/g). The prepared rGO was used as an adsorbent for benzene and toluene(model pollutants of volatile organic compounds(VOCs)) under dynamic adsorption/desorption conditions. rGO showed higher adsorption capacity and breakthrough times than GO. The adsorption capacity of rGO for benzene and toluene was 276.4 and 304.4 mg/g, respectively.Desorption experiments showed that the spent rGO can be successfully regenerated by heating at 150.0°C. Its excellent adsorption/desorption performance for benzene and toluene makes rGO a potential adsorbent for VOC adsorption.     

Lignin and holocellulose from coir pith involved in trimethylamine (fishy odor) adsorption

Coir pith is a highly potential adsorbent for adsorbing trimethylamine(TMA). It harbors a higher adsorption capacity for TMA compared to commercial activated carbon(CAC). It was found that lignin and holocellulose extracted from coir pith played an important role in TMA adsorption. Lignin itself had the highest TMA adsorption capacity(269.01 mg/g)followed by holocellulose(75.43 mg/g), coir pith(14.3 mg/g) and CAC(10.26 mg/g),respectively. The pseudo-first-and second orders were applied to the kinetic data. For the adsorption of TMA by coir pith, the best fit was achieved by the pseudo-second order.Thermodynamic studies showed an endothermic and physico-chemical adsorption process between TMA and the coir pith. TMA desorption study suggested that only 14%–47% of TMA was desorbed with distilled water. In addition, Fourier transform-infrared(FT-IR) spectra showed that C–H bond(methyl group), C–O bond from phenolic alcohol and C–O bond from tertiary alcohol in lignin and holocellulose were involved in TMA adsorption. Coir pithbased filter showed high TMA adsorption efficiency(98%) and kept constant for more than48 days in a continuous system. Pilot scale experiment, coir pith beads filter could be succesfully applied as a packing material for TMA removal. Therefore, coir pith can be used as a promising packing material for TMA treatment at contaminated site.     

Effect of an eco-friendly o/w emulsion stabilized with amphiphilic sodium alginate derivatives on lambda-cyhalothrin adsorption–desorption on natural soil minerals

The effects of amphiphilic O/W emulsions,stabilized by the alkyl polyglycoside(APG)or cholesterol-grafted sodium alginate(CSAD)/APG systems,on lambda-cyhalothrin adsorption/desorption mechanisms on natural soil minerals(i.e.,illite and kaolinite)were investigated.Sorption and desorption of lambda-cyhalothrin onto soil minerals was studied via batch equilibration to give insight into the adsorption equilibrium,kinetics,and thermodynamics of lambda-cyhalothrin adsorption onto minerals.The results indicate the following:(i)The adsorption processes for the APG system and CSAD/APG system include:rapid adsorption,slow adsorption,and adsorption equilibrium.The adsorption kinetics of pesticide on illite and kaolinite are in accordance with the Ho and McKay model,and the adsorption isotherm conforms to the Freundlich model.In addition,the adsorption processes of pesticide for the two systems on minerals were spontaneous and feasible(ΔG~00),endothermic(ΔH~00),and mainly involved chemical bonding(ΔH~060).(ii)The equilibrium adsorption percentages of the pesticide on illite for the APG system and CSAD/APG system were 42.4%and 64.8%,and the corresponding equilibrium adsorption percentages on kaolinite were 40.8%and 61.8%,respectively.Moreover,the pesticide adsorption rate K_(2-CSAD/APG)was faster than K_(2-APG),and its adsorption capacity K_(f-CSAD/APG )was greater than K_(f-APG).Meanwhile,the pesticide desorption K_(fd)in the CSAD/APG system was smaller than that in the APG system.As a result,this eco-friendly O/W emulsion based on amphiphilic sodium alginate derivatives might provide a green pesticide formulation,since it could reduce the amount of lambda-cyhalothrin entering aquatic systems to threaten non-target fish and invertebrate species.     

Adsorption–desorption behavior of atrazine on agricultural soils in China

Adsorption and desorption are important processes that affect atrazine transport,transformation,and bioavailability in soils.In this study,the adsorption–desorption characteristics of atrazine in three soils(laterite,paddy soil and alluvial soil) were evaluated using the batch equilibrium method.The results showed that the kinetics of atrazine in soils was completed in two steps:a"fast" adsorption and a "slow" adsorption and could be well described by pseudo-second-order model.In addition,the adsorption equilibrium isotherms were nonlinear and were well fitted by Freundlich and Langmuir models.It was found that the adsorption data on laterite,and paddy soil were better fitted by the Freundlich model;as for alluvial soil,the Langmuir model described it better.The maximum atrazine sorption capacities ranked as follows:paddy soil alluvial soil laterite.Results of thermodynamic calculations indicated that atrazine adsorption on three tested soils was spontaneous and endothermic.The desorption data showed that negative hysteresis occurred.Furthermore,lower solution pH value was conducive to the adsorption of atrazine in soils.The atrazine adsorption in these three tested soils was controlled by physical adsorption,including partition and surface adsorption.At lower equilibrium concentration,the atrazine adsorption process in soils was dominated by surface adsorption;while with the increase of equilibrium concentration,partition was predominant.     

Preparation of Fe–Co based MOF-74 and its effective adsorption of arsenic from aqueous solution

To obtain a cost-effective adsorbent for the removal of arsenic in water,a novel nanostructured Fe–Co based metal organic framework(MOF-74)adsorbent was successfully prepared via a simple solvothermal method.The adsorption experiments showed that the optimal molar ratio of Fe/Co in the adsorbent was 2:1.The Fe_2Co_1MOF-74 was characterized by various techniques and the results showed that the nanoparticle diameter ranged from60 to 80 nm and the specific surface area was 147.82 m~2/g.The isotherm and kinetic parameters of arsenic removal on Fe_2Co_1MOF-74 were well-fitted by the Langmuir and pseudo-second-order models.The maximum adsorption capacities toward As(III)and As(V)were 266.52 and 292.29 mg/g,respectively.The presence of sulfate,carbonate and humic acid had no obvious effect on arsenic adsorption.However,coexisting phosphate significantly hindered the removal of arsenic,especially at high concentrations(10 mmol/L).Electrostatic interaction and hydroxyl and metal–oxygen groups played important roles in the adsorption of arsenic.Furthermore,the prepared adsorbent had stable adsorption ability after regeneration and when used in a real-water matrix.The excellent adsorption performance of Fe_2Co_1MOF-74 material makes it a potentially promising adsorbent for the removal of arsenic.     

Adsorption performance of CMK-3 and C-FDU-15 in NO removal at low temperature

CMK-3 and C-FDU-15 samples were synthesized using hard-templating and evaporationinduced self-assembly(EISA) methods,respectively.The pore structures of CMK-3 and CFDU-15 as well as commercial activated carbon were characterized by means of X-ray diffraction,field emission scanning electron microscopy,transmission electron microscopy,and N_2 adsorption–desorption.Adsorption of NO was investigated by means of thermogravimetric analysis,temperature-programmed desorption of NO + O_2,and in situ diffuse reflectance Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy.The results show that the CMK-3 and C-FDU-15 materials possessed ordered and uniform structures.The coadsorption capacity of NO and O_2 decreased in the sequence CMK-3(88.6 mg/g) C-FDU-15(71.7 mg/g) AC(25.3 mg/g).There were two main adsorption species on CMK-3 and CFDU-15:nitrite and nitrate.Nitrite is converted to nitrate easily.However,the adsorption species were more complex on AC,with nitrite being the main species.Moreover,CMK-3 and C-FDU-15 exhibit excellent regeneration efficiency compared with AC.The excellent NO adsorption performance of CMK-3 and C-FDU-15 was associated with their ordered mesoporous structures and high surface areas.The research provides more options for NO adsorption in the future.     

Zeolite (Na) modified by nano-Fe particles adsorbing phosphate in rainwater runoff

Zeolite (Na) modified by self-synthesized nano-Fe particles was used as infiltration media to adsorb phosphate in rainwater runoff. The adsorption capacities increased up to 75 times that of natural zeolite at a saturated equilibrium phosphate concentration of 0.42 mg/L. The correlation of capacity and material-specific surface area indicated that specific surface area was not the key factor contributing to the capacity improvement. SEM and XRD analysis showed that chemical reaction between Fe and P to form new products like cacoxenite is the main reason for the increased capacity, and that the method of adding metal ions or particles to improve the adsorption capacity for phosphate is feasible.     

Effect of precipitation pH and coexisting magnesium ion on phosphate adsorption onto hydrous zirconium oxide

To understand the effect of precipitation pH and coexisting Mg~(2+) on phosphate adsorption onto zirconium oxide(ZrO_2), ZrO_2 particles precipitated at pH 5.3, 7.1 and 10.5, i.e., ZrO_2(5.3), ZrO_2(7.1)and ZrO_2(10.5), respectively were prepared and characterized, then their adsorption performance and mechanism in the absence and presence of Mg~(2+) were comparatively investigated in this study. The results showed that the Elovich, pseudo-second-order and Langmuir isotherm models correlated with the experimental data well. The adsorption mechanism involved the complexation between phosphate and zirconium. Coexisting Mg~(2+) slightly inhibited the adsorption of phosphate on ZrO_2(5.3), including the adsorption capacity and rate, but coexisting Mg~(2+) greatly increased the adsorption capacity and rate for ZrO_2(7.1)and ZrO_2(10.5). The enhanced adsorption of phosphate on ZrO_2(7.1) and ZrO_2(10.5) in the presence of Mg~(2+) was mainly due to the formation of Mg~(2+)-HPO_4~(2-) ion pair(MgHPO_4~0) in the solution and then the adsorption of MgHPO_4~0 on the adsorbent surface, forming the phosphatebridged ternary complex Zr(OPO_3H)Mg. In the absence of Mg~(2+) , the maximum phosphate adsorption capacity at pH 7 calculated from the Langmuir isotherm model decreased in the order of ZrO 2(7.1)(67.3 mg/g) ZrO_2(5.3)(53.6 mg/g) ≈ ZrO_2(10.5)(53.1 mg/g), but it followed the order of Zr O2(7.1)(97.0 mg/g) ZrO_2(10.5)(79.7 mg/g) ZrO_2(5.3)(51.3 mg/g) in the presence of Mg~(2+) . The results of this work suggest that ZrO_2(7.1) is more suitable for use as an adsorbent for the effective removal of phosphate from municipal wastewater than ZrO_2(5.3) and ZrO_2(10.5),because Mg~(2+) is generally present in this wastewater.     

CuO-modified activated carbon for the improvement of toluene removal in air

We used an impregnation method to prepare CuO/AC(activated carbon) composite materials of different CuO content and characterized them via scanning electron microscope(SEM), Brunauer–Emmett–Teller(BET), and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy(FT-IR).The effect of CuO content on toluene adsorption/desorption was evaluated.We explored the reusability of AC and AC03(CuO modified AC with CuO loading 0.3 wt.%) adsorbents via toluene adsorption/desorption cycle testing.We used quasi-firstand quasi-second-order models, the Bangham model, and the Weber–Morris model to fit the toluene adsorption data.The introduction of CuO species evidently improved the adsorption performance of activated carbon toward toluene.The CuO content markedly affected the specific surface area, CuO dispersal, the numbers of oxygen-containing functional groups on the surface, and adsorption performance of the prepared composite adsorbents.Low CuO content was not favorable for the formation of active adsorption sites,while high content greatly reduced the specific surface area, and even covered active adsorption sites.The toluene adsorption performance varied in the order AC03 AC02 AC05 AC08 AC01(AC03, AC02, AC05, AC08 and AC01 are CuO modifying AC with CuO loading 0.3, 0.2, 0.5 0.8 and 0.1 wt.%, respectively).The breakthrough time and toluene adsorption capacity of the AC03 composite adsorbent were 94 min and 701.8 mg/g,respectively, and the recycling efficiency was 92.8% after thermal desorption at 200°C.The adsorption process was best described by the Bangham model and adsorption could be divided into three stages.     

Phosphate adsorption performance of a novel filter substrate made from drinking water treatment residuals

Phosphate is one of the most predominant pollutants in natural waters. Laboratory experiments were conducted to investigate the phosphate adsorption performance of a(NFS) made from drinking water treatment residuals. The adsorption of phosphate on the NFS fitted well with the Freundlich isotherm and pseudo second-order kinetic models. At p H 7.0, the maximum adsorption capacity of 1.03 mg/g was achieved at 15°C corresponding to the wastewater temperature in cold months, and increased notably to 1.31 mg/g at 35°C.Under both acidic conditions(part of the adsorption sites was consumed) and basic conditions(negative charges formed on the surface of NFS, which led to a static repulsion of PO43-and HPO42-), the adsorption of phosphate was slightly inhibited. Further study showed that part of the adsorption sites could be recovered by 0.25 mol/L Na OH. The activation energy was calculated to be above 8.0 k J/mol, indicating that the adsorption of phosphate on NFS was probably a chemical process. Considering the strong phosphate adsorption capacity and recoverability, NFS showed great promise on enhancing phosphate removal from the secondary treated wastewater in the filtration process.     

Adsorption and desorption characteristics of diphenylarsenicals in two contrasting soils

Diphenylarsinic acid(DPAA) is formed during the leakage of aromatic arsenic chemical weapons in soils,is persistent in nature,and results in arsenic contamination in the field.The adsorption and desorption characteristics of DPAA were investigated in two typical Chinese soils,an Acrisol(a variable-charge soil) and a Phaeozem(a constant-charge soil).Their thermodynamics and some of the factors influencing them(i.e.,initial pH value,ionic strength and phosphate) were also evaluated using the batch method in order to understand the environmental fate of DPAA in soils.The results indicate that Acrisol had a stronger adsorption capacity for DPAA than Phaeozem.Soil DPAA adsorption was a spontaneous and endothermic process and the amount of DPAA adsorbed was affected significantly by variation in soil pH and phosphate.In contrast,soil organic matter and ionic strength had no significant effect on adsorption.This suggests that DPAA adsorption may be due to specific adsorption on soil mineral surfaces.Therefore,monitoring the fate of DPAA in soils is recommended in areas contaminated by leakage from chemical weapons.     

Nb_2O_5 nanowires in-situ grown on carbon fiber: A high-efficiency material for the photocatalytic reduction of Cr(Ⅵ)

Niobium oxide nanowire-deposited carbon fiber(CF) samples were prepared using a hydrothermal method with amorphous Nb_2O_5·nH_2O as precursor. The physical properties of the samples were characterized by means of numerous techniques, including X-ray diffraction(XRD), energy-dispersive spectroscopy(EDS), scanning electron microscopy(SEM), transmission electron microscopy(TEM), selected-area electron diffraction(SAED), UV–visible spectroscopy(UV–vis), N_2 adsorption–desorption, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy(FT-IR), and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. The efficiency for the removal of Cr(VI) was determined.Parameters such as pH value and initial Cr(VI) concentration could influence the Cr(VI) removal efficiency or adsorption capacity of the Nb_2O_5/carbon fiber sample obtained after hydrothermal treatment at 160°C for 14 hr. The maximal Cr(VI) adsorption capacity of the Nb_2O_5 nanowire/CF sample was 115 mg/g. This Nb_2O_5/CF sample also showed excellent photocatalytic activity and stability for the reduction of Cr(VI) under UV-light irradiation: the Cr(VI) removal efficiency reached 99.9% after UV-light irradiation for 1 hr and there was no significant decrease in photocatalytic performance after the use of the sample for 10 repeated cycles. Such excellent Cr(VI) adsorption capacity and photocatalytic performance was related to its high surface area,abundant surface hydroxyl groups, and good UV-light absorption ability.     

Nanoscale zero-valent iron/magnetite carbon composites for highly efficient immobilization of U(VI)

Nanoscale zerovalent iron/magnetic carbon (NZVI/MC) composites were successfully synthesized by simply calcining yellow pine and iron precursors. NZVI/MC pyrolyzed at 800°C (NZVI/MC800) had a higher percentage of NZVI and displayed better resistance to aggregation and oxidation of NZVI than samples prepared at other temperatures. The NZVI/MC800 material was applied for the elimination of U(VI) from aqueous solutions. The results suggested that the NZVI/MC800 displayed excellent adsorption capacity (203.94?mg/g) toward U(VI). The significant adsorption capacity and fast adsorption kinetics were attributed to the presence of well-dispersed NZVI, which could quickly reduce U(VI) into U(IV), trapping the guest U(IV) in the porous biocarbon matrix. The removal of U(VI) on the NZVI/MC samples was strongly affected by solution pH. The NZVI/MC samples also displayed outstanding reusability for U(VI) removal after multiple cycles. These findings indicate that NZVI/MC has great potential for remediation of wastewater containing U(VI).