Evaporation‐induced self‐assembly (EISA) synthesized mesoporous bimetallic oxides (MBOs) enabling enhanced co‐uptake of arsenate and fluoride from water

Abstract

AbstractBACKGROUNDSimultaneous removal of arsenic and fluoride anions from water by adsorption remains a challenge for environmental remediation practice. To address this issue, four mesoporous bimetallic oxides (MBOs) were prepared via the evaporation‐induced self‐assembly (EISA) method and studied as adsorbents for the co‐uptake of arsenate (As(V)) and fluoride (F−) from synthetic wastewater. Adsorption envelope and equilibrium experiments were performed to investigate the adsorption behaviors and properties.RESULTSThese composites possessed high surface areas (e.g. 200 m2 g−1 for meso‐Ti/Al) and well‐defined mesopores, enabling high adsorption capacities for both As(V) and F−. The maximum adsorption capacities of mesoporous titanium‐lanthanum oxide (meso‐Ti/La) were as high as 81.42 mg g−1 and 44.37 mg g−1 for As(V) and F−, respectively. Surface complexation modeling indicates that As(V) removal mainly involved bidentate surface complexation with surface ≡Me‐OH, while F− was retained by formation of monodentate surface complexes.CONCLUSIONThe removal mechanisms were confirmed by X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy. These MBOs were found to be effective for simultaneous removal of arsenic and fluoride from water. This study also demonstrated that the incorporation of multi‐components and mesoporosity into one composite is an efficient strategy for design and application of high‐efficiency adsorbents for environmental remediation of aqueous contaminants. © 2018 Society of Chemical Industry