Functionalized Wool as an Efficient and Sustainable Adsorbent for Removal of Zn(II) from an Aqueous Solution.

Marjana Simonič,Lidija Fras Zemljič

doi:10.3390/ma13143208

Abstract

In this paper, the aim of the research was to obtain a highly efficient wool-based sorbent for the removal of zinc Zn(II) from wastewater. To increase the functional groups for metal binding, the wool was functionalized with chitosan. Chitosan has amino groups through which metals can be complexed easily to chelates. The physical and chemical modification of chitosan on wool was performed to analyze the influence of the coating bond on the final ability of the wool to remove metals. The presence of functional chitosan groups onto wool after adsorption was verified by attenuated total reflectance-Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (ATR-FT-IR) spectra. The effective binding of chitosan to wool was also determined by potentiometric and polyelectrolyte titration methods. The latter titration was used to analyze the chitosan desorption. The main part of the study was the sorption of Zn(II) on natural and functionalized wool. The influence was investigated as a function of contact time, pH, metal ion concentration and temperature on the sorption process. The absorbent with the highest concentration of protonated amino groups (607.7 mmol/kg) and responding sorption capacity of 1.52 mg/g was obtained with wool physically modified by a macromolecular chitosan solution (1%) at pH = 7. Adsorption of Zn(II) onto pristine and modified wool corresponded to pseudo-second order kinetics (R2 > 0.9884). The Langmuir model was found to be more suitable (R2 > 0.9866) in comparison to the Freundlich model. The Zn(II) sorption process was spontaneous (∆G < 0) and exothermic (∆H < 0). The results found in this study are significant for escalating the possible use of wool modified with polysaccharide coatings as a sustainable source to improve or increase the metal sorption activity of wool.

Highlights

Scientists have become increasingly interested in using wool as a natural fiber for potential biosorbents because of its abundance
The results found in this study are significant for escalating the possible use of wool modified with polysaccharide coatings as a sustainable source to improve or increase the metal sorption activity of wool
We have found that sorption of Zn(II) or any other metal has not yet been carried out systematically with functionalized wool, physically or chemically modified with chitosan solutions

Summary

Introduction

Scientists have become increasingly interested in using wool as a natural fiber for potential biosorbents because of its abundance. Various techniques have been developed to improve the physical and mechanical properties of wool and its sorption capacity for a wide range of metals. It is of great interest to functionalize wool by polymers that have an affinity for metals with their functional groups (i.e., the amino group -NH2 ). Due to the sustainability trend, the focus is on natural and biodegradable polysaccharides, including chitosan. With its amino groups, has a strong tendency to bind heavy metals on the basis of electron-donating nitrogen atoms [1]. The physical modification of wool with chitosan solutions was of particular interest in terms of improving the properties of wool by dyeing. Bendak et al [2] determined whether the physical

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