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Facile preparation and characterization of lanthanum-loaded carboxylated multi-walled carbon nanotubes and their application for the adsorption of phosphate ions

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Abstract

A new carboxylated multi-walled carbon nanotubes adsorbent modified with lanthanum hydroxide (MWCNTs-COOH-La) was prepared, characterized and investigated for phosphate removal in batch experiments. The maximum adsorption capacity of the MWCNTs-COOH-La was 48.02 mg P g−1 according to Langmuir model. Structural characterizations demonstrated that the MWCNTs-COOH-La was successfully synthesized and La species was present in the form of La(OH)3. Batch experiments were performed under various conditions (e.g., initial concentrations, temperature, pH, co-existing ions) to investigate the removal of phosphate by MWCNTs-COOH-La. Equilibrium data agreed very well with the Langmuir model, suggesting that the adsorption feature was monolayer. The adsorption behaviors of phosphate were described better by the pseudo-second-order, indicating that the adsorption behaviors were mainly ascribed to chemic-sorption. Phosphate adsorption varied slightly at pH 3–7, but decreased significantly at higher pH values. Phosphate adsorption was slightly influenced by solution ionic strength. A high selectivity of phosphate was also observed in the presence of co-existing anions (except CO3 2−). The underlying mechanism for the specific adsorption of phosphate by MWCNTs-COOH-La was fully analyzed by X-ray diffraction, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy technologies. The above results revealed that the hydroxyl groups were involved in the sorption of phosphate and LaPO4 was formed during the adsorption process. This study implied that MWCNTs-COOH-La might be an alternatively viable and promising adsorbent for removal of phosphate from aqueous solution.

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Acknowledgement

We greatly acknowledge the financial support from the Special Fund for the Ecology Key Disciplines of Zhejiang Province in Taizhou University, Jiangsu Key Lab. of Biomass Energy and Material Foundation of China (JSBEM201703), the Program for key Science and Technology Team of Zhejiang Province (2013TD17), and the Program for Zhejiang Provincial Natural Science Foundation of China (LZ16C160001).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Plant Evolutionary Ecology and Conservation, Taizhou University, Taizhou, 318000, People’s Republic of China

    Enmin Zong & Jinhua Jiang

  2. School of Engineering, and National Engineering and Technology Research Center of Wood-based Resources Comprehensive Utilization, Zhejiang Agriculture and Forestry University, Hangzhou, Lin’an, 311300, People’s Republic of China

    Xiaohuan Liu, Shenxiang Yang & Shenyuan Fu

  3. Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Biomass Energy and Material, Institute of Chemical Industry of Forest Products, CAF, Nanjing, 210037, People’s Republic of China

    Jifu Wang

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  1. Enmin Zong
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  2. Xiaohuan Liu
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Correspondence to Xiaohuan Liu.

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Zong, E., Liu, X., Wang, J. et al. Facile preparation and characterization of lanthanum-loaded carboxylated multi-walled carbon nanotubes and their application for the adsorption of phosphate ions. J Mater Sci 52, 7294–7310 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10853-017-0966-0

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