Excellent adsorption properties of Mg/Al/Fe LDOs for Cr(VI) in water

Abstract

Cr(VI), a common wastewater pollutant discharged from metallurgical, electroplating and other industries poses a threat to human health and the ecological environment. Layered double hydroxides (LDHs), which have a strong anion exchange capacity and memory effect, are excellent adsorbents that are widely used for heavy metal adsorption. In this study, we found that Mg-Al-Fe ternary metal oxides (MAF-LDOs) obtained by the calcination of Mg-Al-Fe hydrotalcite-like compounds (MAF-LDHs) had great potential for the treatment of Cr(VI)-containing wastewater. The influences of the adsorption time, Cr(VI) concentrations, pH value and coexisting metal ions were also considered. By using batch adsorption experiments and various characterization tools, it was found that the mechanism of Cr(VI) adsorbed by MAF-LDO involved the use of a memory effect that involved HCrO4- in the reconstruction of laminates. In addition, some laminate -OH groups were protonated to electrostatically attract HCrO4-. The -OH groups in the laminate acted as electron donors to reduce Cr(VI) to Cr(III) that then underwent complexation for the effective removal of Cr(VI). The maximum theoretical adsorption capacity of MAF/LDOs for Cr(VI) was 122.85 mg/g at 20 °C. Furthermore, the MAF-LDO demonstrated excellent stability and reusability. In conclusion, the MAF-LDO exhibited a simple synthesis process, superior adsorption capacity with a short contact time, and a wide pH range of application. Hence, it is well-suited for industrial wastewater treatment and provides new insights for treating Cr(VI)-containing wastewater.