Preparation of a double-network hydrogel based on wastepaper and its application in the treatment of wastewater containing copper(ii) and methylene blue

Yaoning Chen; Linshenzhang Li; Yuanping Li; Yihuan Liu; Yanrong Chen; Hui Li; Meiling Li; Fangting Xu; Yuqing Liu

doi:10.1039/d1ra02321g

Preparation of a double-network hydrogel based on wastepaper and its application in the treatment of wastewater containing copper(ii) and methylene blue

RSC Adv. 2021 May 19;11(29):18131-18143. doi: 10.1039/d1ra02321g. eCollection 2021 May 13.

Authors

Yaoning Chen^{1

2}, Linshenzhang Li^{1

2}, Yuanping Li³, Yihuan Liu^{1

2}, Yanrong Chen^{1

2}, Hui Li⁴, Meiling Li^{1

2}, Fangting Xu^{1

2}, Yuqing Liu⁵

Affiliations

¹ College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Hunan University Changsha 410082 China cyn@hnu.edu.cn +86 731 88821413 +86 731 88821413.
² Key Laboratory of Environmental Biology and Pollution Control (Hunan University), Ministry of Education Changsha 410082 China.
³ College of Municipal and Mapping Engineering, Hunan City University Yiyang Hunan 413000 China yuanpingl@163.net.
⁴ State Key Laboratory of Utilization of Woody Oil Resource, Hunan Academy of Forestry Changsha 410004 P.R. China.
⁵ Shenzhen Zhongrun Zhihuan Ecological Environment Technology Co., Ltd Shenzhen 518000 China.

Abstract

To reclaim and utilize wastepaper (WP), a WP/acrylamide double-network hydrogel (WP/PAM) was prepared to transform WP into efficient adsorbent for heavy metals and dye wastewater treatment. The structure and properties of the WP/PAM were characterized systematically by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), swelling performance (SR), Fourier transform infrared spectrum (FTIR), and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). Batch experiments showed that the adsorption process of Cu(ii) and MB followed the pseudo-second-order kinetic model and the Langmuir model. The maximum adsorption capacities of the WP/PAM for Cu(ii) and MB were 142.2 mg g^-1 and 1714.5 mg g^-1, respectively. The adsorption mechanism of Cu(ii) on the WP/PAM was related to ion exchange and complexation, while MB adsorption was driven by hydrogen bonding and electrostatic interaction. Besides, the WP/PAM performed well in treating simulated wastewater. The regeneration test indicated that the WP/PAM could be successfully reused after 6 cycles. This work provided an alternative choice for the recycling of WP and produced a potential adsorbent for the dye and heavy metals wastewater treatment.