Mechanism of phosphate adsorption on superparamagnetic microparticles modified with transitional elements: Experimental observation and computational modelling

Qian Zhao; Chengfang Liu; Hongquan Song; Yu Liu; Hongbo Wang; Fuyang Tian; Shujun Meng; Kefeng Zhang; Ning Wang; Ruimin Mu; Mei Li

doi:10.1016/j.chemosphere.2020.127327

Mechanism of phosphate adsorption on superparamagnetic microparticles modified with transitional elements: Experimental observation and computational modelling

Chemosphere. 2020 Nov:258:127327. doi: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2020.127327. Epub 2020 Jun 12.

Authors

Qian Zhao¹, Chengfang Liu², Hongquan Song³, Yu Liu⁴, Hongbo Wang⁵, Fuyang Tian⁶, Shujun Meng⁷, Kefeng Zhang⁵, Ning Wang⁵, Ruimin Mu⁵, Mei Li⁸

Affiliations

¹ School of Municipal and Environmental Engineering, Shandong Jianzhu University, 1000 Fengming Road, Jinan, 250101, China; Shandong Province Co-Innovation Center of Green Building, Jinan, 250101, China; Shandong Key Laboratory of Water Pollution Control and Resource Reuse, School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Shandong University, Qingdao, 266237, China. Electronic address: zhaoqian@sdjzu.edu.cn.
² School of Municipal and Environmental Engineering, Shandong Jianzhu University, 1000 Fengming Road, Jinan, 250101, China.
³ College of Physics and Telecommunication Engineering, Zhoukou Normal University, Zhoukou, 466001, PR China.
⁴ Advanced Environmental Biotechnology Centre, Nanyang Environment and Water Research Institute, Nanyang Technological University, 1 Cleantech Loop, Singapore, 637141, Singapore; School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Nanyang Technological University, 50 Nanyang Avenue, Singapore, 639798, Singapore.
⁵ School of Municipal and Environmental Engineering, Shandong Jianzhu University, 1000 Fengming Road, Jinan, 250101, China; Shandong Province Co-Innovation Center of Green Building, Jinan, 250101, China.
⁶ Institute for Applied Physics, University of Science and Technology Beijing, Beijing, 100083, China.
⁷ School of Space and Environment, Beihang University, Beijing, 100191, China.
⁸ School of Municipal and Environmental Engineering, Shandong Jianzhu University, 1000 Fengming Road, Jinan, 250101, China; Shandong Province Co-Innovation Center of Green Building, Jinan, 250101, China. Electronic address: limei@sdjzu.edu.cn.

PMID: 32559493
DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2020.127327

Abstract

Microparticle sorbents (MPSs) containing nano-Fe₃O₄ core, nano-layered double hydroxides shell modified with different transitional elements (TE-MPSs) are effective for capturing phosphate from wastewater. In present article, different TE-MPSs loaded with Ce, La, Zr and Hf were synthesized and the phosphorous removal performances were compared. The molecular-level mechanism of phosphate adsorption was successfully simulated by pseudo-atom model based on virtual crystal approximation method, which was in line with the spectroscopic data. The results confirmed the inter-sphere complexation reaction between phosphate and TE-MPSs under neutral pH. And the adsorption mechanism probably changed during cycles of adsorption/regeneration. As revealed by elemental composition analysis, ion exchange mechanism probably played an important part in phosphate adsorption in Cycle 1 while the ligand complexation became dominant after regenerated with NaOH in the following cycles. This work indicates that the highly effective, easily separable and repeatedly usable TE-MPSs has the potential for phosphate sequestration and recovery from sewage wastewater.

Keywords: Adsorption; Microparticle sorbent; Phosphate recovery; Pseudo-atom model; Reusability; Transitional elements.

MeSH terms

Adsorption
Hydrogen-Ion Concentration
Hydroxides / chemistry
Magnetite Nanoparticles*
Phosphates / chemistry*
Phosphorus
Sewage
Transition Elements
Wastewater / chemistry

Substances

Hydroxides
Magnetite Nanoparticles
Phosphates
Sewage
Transition Elements
Waste Water
Phosphorus