Abstract
Fluoride contamination has become a worldwide concern since it can cause serious environmental problems. Zirconium-based adsorbents exhibit satisfactory fluoride removal capabilities. However, their narrow pH applicability, tendency to aggregate, and difficulty in separation hinder practical applications. Herein, a high efficiency hydrous ZrO2 polypyrrole nanocomposite (HZrO2@PPy) was prepared by in-situ oxidative polymerization. The results indicate that HZrO2@PPy exhibit optimal fluoride (F−) removal efficiency in a wide pH range (3−10), with good anti-interference performance to coexisting anions (Cl−, HSO4− and SO42–). The adsorption kinetics conformed to the quasi-second-order model and the adsorption process could reach equilibrium within 10 min. The adsorption isotherms are in good agreement with the Langmuir model, and the maximum adsorption capacity of F− at neutral pH could be 63.61 mg/g. Thermodynamic analysis shows that the adsorption defluorination of HZrO2@PPy is a spontaneous, endothermic, entropy-reducing reaction. In addition, the adsorption mechanism was investigated based on XPS and FTIR analyses. The results demonstrate that the electrostatic attraction, complexation effect and ion exchange are the main mechanisms for the adsorption of F− on HZrO2@PPy. The results presented in this work indicate the potential of the developed nanocomposite as a defluoridation material for environmental water.
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