Facile cross-link method to synthesize chitosan-based adsorbent with superior selectivity toward gold ions: Batch and column studies

Abstract

The recovery of gold from wastewater has received significant attention in the last years due to its high economic value and low availability. A novel chitosan-based adsorbent (CS-GTU) was successfully synthesized by using formaldehyde as a crosslinker between chitosan and guanylthiourea, and applied for selective adsorption of AuIII from an aqueous medium. Through batch experiments, the maximum adsorption capacity of CS-GTU for AuIII could reach up to 695.63 mg/g at pH 5.0, and the adsorption process followed the Pseudo-second-order kinetic and Langmuir isotherm models, indicating that the monolayer chemisorption possibly occurred on the adsorbent surfaces. The adsorption was an enthalpy driven and spontaneous chemical process based on thermodynamic analysis. Furthermore, the adsorbent has demonstrated outstanding selectivity toward AuIII from multi-metallic solutions, and five cycled experiments of adsorption-desorption showed that CS-GTU could be efficiently regenerated. Experimental breakthrough curves were successfully simulated by using the Thomas model, which can fit the experimental data with the correlated curve (R2 > 0.9) well. This improvement in adsorption was a consequence of the complexation and electrostatic attraction of gold ions with the abundant sulfur/nitrogen-containing groups. The CS-GTU beads can be considered as a suitable and efficient adsorbent for gold ions in aqueous solutions.