ISSN print edition: 0366-6352 ISSN electronic edition: 1336-9075 Registr. No.: MK SR 9/7 Published monthly

Removal of antimony(III) by magnetic MIL-101(Cr)-NH₂ loaded with SiO₂: optimization based on response surface methodology and adsorption properties

Zheng Wang, Tian Tian, Kai Xu, Yannan Jia, Chenyue Zhang, Jiacheng Li, and Zijie Wang

School of Civil Engineering, Nanjing Forestry University, Nanjing, China

E-mail: wangzheng@njfu.edu.cn

Received: 22 September 2021  Accepted: 4 January 2022

Abstract:

The large-scale use of antimony by humans has caused antimony pollution in the ecological environment, which is harmful to microorganisms, animals, plants, and humans, and Sb(III) is the most toxic. Therefore, removing Sb(III) in water has the dual significance of protecting the ecological environment and reducing health risks. In this paper, MnFe₂O₄@SiO₂@MIL-101(Cr)-NH₂ (MSM) was synthesised and used to adsorb Sb(III) in water. Use X-ray diffraction, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, environmental scanning electron microscopy, X-ray energy spectrum analysis (EDS), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, specific surface area analysis (BET), thermogravimetric analysis, magnetic hysteresis loop (VSM) and other means to characterise MSM. The BET specific surface area and total pore volume of MSM are 599.47 m²/g and 0.41 cm³/g, respectively. The saturation magnetisation of MSM is 8.93 emu/g. When the dosage is 150 mg/L, the pH is 3, the temperature is 298.15 K, and the adsorption time is 120 min, the adsorption capacity of MSM for Sb(III) reaches 30.26 mg/L. The increase in pH and temperature will both decrease the adsorption of Sb(III) by MSM. The adsorption of Sb(III) by MSM relies on chemical adsorption and intra-particle diffusion. Its adsorption behavior conforms to be a single-layer adsorption, and the maximum theoretical adsorption capacity is 86.35 mg/g. Through response surface optimization, it is estimated that the deviation between the maximum Sb(III) adsorption capacity and the measured value is about 2.4%. This study shows the great potential of MSM to remove antimony in practical applications.

Keywords: Antimony(III); MnFe2O4@SiO2@MIL-101(Cr)-NH2; Adsorption; Optimization; Response surface methodology

Full paper is available at www.springerlink.com.

DOI: 10.1007/s11696-022-02069-4

Chemical Papers 76 (5) 2733–2745 (2022)