Preparation of Ti3C2Tx-based MXene composite aerogel and its adsorption performance for dibutyl phthalate

Abstract

MXene-based Ti3C2TX composite aerogels (βCD-MXene-SA) were prepared using thin layers of MXene and sodium alginate (SA) as matrix materials, β-cyclodextrin (β-CD) as surface modifier, and epichlorohydrin as cross-linker. The βCD-MXene-SA was characterized by scanning electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction and Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, and the results demonstrated that the βCD-MXene-SA had a larger specific surface area and a more developed pore structure. In addition, the maximum adsorption capacity of this βCD-MXene-SA for dibutyl phthalate (DBP) under the optimal adsorption conditions was 25 mg/g. The adsorption kinetics showed that the adsorption process was in good agreement with both kinetic models. The adsorption isotherms were consistent with the Langmuir and Freundlich adsorption isotherm models, suggesting that the adsorption of DBP by βCD-MXene-SA was the result of the combined effect of physisorption and chemisorption. The adsorption process may include monolayer adsorption on homogeneous surfaces and multilayer adsorption on multilayer surfaces. Outside, the ecotoxicological effects of DBP on crops were explored. The results showed that the treated wastewater could promote the growth of green beans, indicating that the toxicity of wastewater was significantly reduced after adsorption treatment.