Biomass-based Adsorbents Research Articles

Optimizing solvothermal synthesis of aluminum-loaded pomelo peel for enhanced fluoride adsorption using response surface methodology

Addressing fluoride contamination in water remains a critical challenge, particularly when seeking cost-effective solutions. In this study, we present a novel aluminum-loaded pomelo peel adsorbent (PPA-Al), synthesized via a one-step solvothermal method, with parameters optimized through response surface methodology. The ideal conditions were established at 2.96 g of pomelo peel, 2 g of NaAlO₂, a reaction temperature of 168.62 °C, and a duration of 140.78 minutes. Characterization of PPA-Al revealed an abundance of hydroxyl and carbon functional groups, enhancing its reactivity with coordination unsaturated aluminum sites. Adsorption isotherms conformed to both Langmuir and Freundlich models, achieving a maximum adsorption capacity of 88.81 mg·g⁻¹, outperforming many existing biomass-based adsorbents. Kinetic analysis indicated that fluoride adsorption followed a pseudo-second-order model, with thermodynamic evaluations suggesting that this process is a spontaneous endothermic reaction. Characterization techniques, including Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), confirmed interactions between fluoride ions and -OH and -CH groups, as well as the formation of Al-F bonds. Notably, the use of PPA-Al reduces groundwater treatment costs by approximately 74.33∼83.24 % compared to activated alumina, and it can be reused multiple times without reagent regeneration. These findings highlight PPA-Al as a promising, efficient material for fluoride removal, while also demonstrating innovative applications for agricultural waste.

Corn stalk decorated with magnetic graphene oxide as an efficient adsorbent for the removal of cationic dye from wastewater

In this study, an in situ immersion loading method is employed to introduce graphene oxide (GO) nanosheets and hollow copper ferrite nanospheres into the ordered porous structure of alkali-activated corn stalk (CS). This approach facilitates the construction of a novel magnetic three-dimensional composite sponge (GO/CS/CuFe2O4) utilized for the efficient removal of methylene blue (MB) and malachite green (MG) dyes from wastewater samples. In this hybrid adsorbent, the stacking of GO nanosheets is inhibited due to the ordered porous structure of CS, based on which GO nanosheets are well immobilized and dispersed. In addition, the hollow CuFe2O4 nanospheres and GO nanosheets support each other, further reducing the accumulation of GO, and increasing the specific surface area of the adsorbent. The engineered morphology of GO/CS/CuFe2O4 sponges supports the maximum exposure of the active adsorption sites to the dye solution, promoting the adsorption process. Microscopy and surface analyses show that GO/CS/CuFe2O4 sponges have a rich pore structure with the specific surface area of 289.85 m2·g−1, more than 17 times higher than that of CS, significantly improving their adsorption performance for MB and MG. The maximum adsorption capacity of GO/CS/CuFe2O4 for MB and MG is as high as 243.65 and 231.53 mg/g, respectively, superior to those of many other biomass-based adsorbents. The dye adsorption performance of GO/CS/CuFe2O4 can be well described by the Langmuir adsorption isotherm and pseudo-second-order kinetic model, suggesting the existence of strong monolayer chemisorption. The FTIR and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) analyses show that the dye removal mechanisms observed mainly includ π-π interactions, hydrogen bonding, electrostatic interactions and pore filling. In addition, GO/CS/CuFe2O4 sponges exhibit an excellent magnetic behavior (Ms = 49.52 emu/g), enabling the adsorbent to be recycled by the application of a magnetic field. The adsorption capacities of the adsorbent for MB and MG remain 88.6 % and 90.2 % of the initial adsorption capacity, respectively, even after 10 regeneration cycles, showing its excellent reusability performance. Finally, GO/CS/CuFe2O4 is applied for the removal of MB and MG from real aqueous environments comprising the seawater, tap water and wastewater treatment plant effluent, and the removal rates are observed to be over 90 % of that achieved in deionized water. This study provides new concepts for the sustainable utilization of agricultural waste and natural structure of plants to purify dye containing wastewater.

Adsorption of heavy metal ions by carbon-based adsorbent using magnetic nitrogen-doped carbon and graphene oxide

ABSTRACT The adsorption of weighty metal particles from contaminated water sources has garnered significant attention due to its critical role in environmental remediation and ensuring safe drinking water. Heavy metal ions can be removed from water using conventional adsorbents such as activated zeolites; however, these materials have low absorption and slow kinetics. To solve these issues, carbon-based adsorbents that exhibit easy synthesis, high porosity, design ability, and stability have been proposed. In this review, a carbon-based adsorbent, named M-NC, and graphene oxide were created for the particular evacuation of weighty metal particles. To increase the potential for Heavy Metals (HM) immobilization, sulfide-modified biochar was created via a process called synchronous carbon layer epitome. A hypothetical physicochemical and thermodynamic examination of the adsorption of weighty metals Zn2+, Cd2+, Ni2+, Ag2+, Pb2+ and Cu2+ on carbon-based adsorbents was done with factual material science fundaments. The biochar with large surface areas is utilized to eliminate weighty metal particles, quite possibly the most significant heavy metal pollutants, from aqueous solutions. The limit of the adsorbent for eliminating weighty metal ions was concentrated on utilizing Langmuir adsorption isotherm under ultrasound-helped conditions. The Mesoporous Silica Nanoparticles (MNCs) can be applied to the Langmuir model and pseudo-second-order kinetics. It is possible to use the Langmuir and second-order kinetic equations to accurately explain the adsorption method. Thermodynamic limitations were also envisioned because sorption is exothermic when it happens spontaneously. A homogeneous measurable physical science adsorption typically was utilized to describe and analyze the experimental heavy metal removal isotherms at 30°C and pH5 utilizing adsorbents produced by pyrolysis of biomasses (broccoli stalks). The experimental results were investigated in terms of Langmuir and pseudo-2nd-order kinetic equations, Freundlich and isotherm models. The outcome of pH, initial heavy metal ion concentration, contact time, and adsorbent dosage regarding the adsorption capacity and removal efficiency of Pb2+ and Cd2+ on the hydrogel was examined. This study contributes to the advancement of information in the ground of environmentally friendly heavy metal removal techniques, specifically focusing on the usage of biomass-based adsorbents. These findings have the potential to address the need for effective solutions in water purification and environmental cleanup efforts.

Removal of malachite green by in-situ N-doped biochar derived from wheat bran: kinetics, isotherms, and adsorption mechanism study

The biomass-based adsorbents offer a promising solution for wastewater decolorization owing to their superior specific surface area, low-budget, high adsorption capacities, and environmental sustainability. In this work, wheat bran (WB) was used as raw material for the production of in situ N-doped biochar through a molten salt template method, and the adsorption characteristics of Malachite Green (MG) onto biochars prepared from WB by immersing and non-immersing (BC–NaK and BC–NaK-n) in the mixed salt solution (NaCl and KCl) were investigated. The experimental results indicated that the adsorption capacity of MG onto the BC–NaK was significantly better than BC–NaK-n, which was attributed to the rich functional groups and well-developed pore structure of BC–NaK. The adsorption equilibrium data of MG onto the BC–NaK was fitted well to Sips and Koble-Corrigan isotherm models and adsorption process of MG was spontaneous and endothermic. Meanwhile, the pseudo-second-order model was successfully applied to depict the adsorption process of MG. Furthermore, the adsorption of MG onto BC–NaK was primarily regulated by H-bonding, π–π interaction, hydrophobic interaction, electrostatic interaction. The maximum saturated adsorption capacity of the BC–NaK was 880.14 ± 9.35 mg g−1 at 298 K, further demonstrating that biochar prepared from wheat bran provided a long-term development strategy for dye wastewater treatment.

A review on sustainable management of biomass: physicochemical modification and its application for the removal of recalcitrant pollutants-challenges, opportunities, and future directions.

Adsorption is one of the most efficient methods for remediating industrial recalcitrant wastewater due to its simple design and low investment cost. However, the conventional adsorbents used in adsorption have several limitations, including high cost, low removal rates, secondary waste generation, and low regeneration ability. Hence, the focus of the research has shifted to developing alternative low-cost green adsorbents from renewable resources such as biomass. In this regard, the recent progress in the modification of biomass-derived adsorbents, which are rich in cellulosic content, through a variety of techniques, including chemical, physical, and thermal processes, has been critically reviewed in this paper. In addition, the practical applications of raw and modified biomass-based adsorbents for the treatment of industrial wastewater are discussed extensively. In a nutshell, the adsorption mechanism, particularly for real wastewater, and the effects of various modifications on biomass-based adsorbents have yet to be thoroughly studied, despite the extensive research efforts devoted to their innovation. Therefore, this review provides insight into future research needed in wastewater treatment utilizing biomass-based adsorbents, as well as the possibility of commercializing biomass-based adsorbents into viable products.

A comprehensive review on methane enrichment in biogas through the purification process using biomass-based adsorbents

A comprehensive review on methane enrichment in biogas through the purification process using biomass-based adsorbents

Simultaneous optimization of production yield and sulfadiazine adsorption of MgFe2O4 loaded on prickly pear biochars using Box-Behnken design.

A major challenge that humans facing is the uncontrolled discharge of antibiotic-containing wastewater into the environment, accompanying with huge threats to human community. The utilization of cost-effective biomass-based adsorbents is considered a potential solution for the treatment of antibiotic wastewater. This study aims to optimize the synthesis of MgFe2O4 nanoparticles loaded on prickly pear biochar (PPB) with outstanding sulfadiazine adsorbability using response surface methodology. Thirteen materials (MgFe2O4-PPB) produced based on Box-Behnken design were tested to evaluate the impact of the main factors on the material preparation process, including ratio of MgFe2O4:PPB precursors, calcination temperature and calcination time. Under optimized conditions, i.e., MgFe2O4:PPB ratio 0.5, temperature 600 °C and time 1 h, the production yield of 46.5% and sulfadiazine removal percentage of 85.4% were obtained. Characterization of optimized MgFe2O4-PPB indicated the good porosity and functionality suitable for the adsorption of sulfadiazine. Elovich model showed the best description of kinetic process. Temkin model was considered to be an accurate description of the isotherm adsorption. Proposed mechanism for antibiotic adsorption onto MgFe2O4-PPB was described. We clarify cost-benefit analysis to asses the importance of MgFe2O4-PPB as well as the economic and environmental impacts of biochar-based composites.

Delonix regia biomass as an eco-friendly biosorbent for effective Alizarin Red S textile dye removal: Characterization, kinetics, and isotherm studies

Alizarin Red (ARS), a harmful dye known for its carcinogenic and mutagenic properties, is widely used in textile dyeing, posing a significant environmental concern due to its water-solubility and potential negative impact on aquatic life. This study explores the use of Delonix regia pods, obtained from the Gulmohar or Mayflower tree, as an eco-friendly adsorbent for ARS removal. The adsorption efficiency of Delonix regia pods was investigated by examining the effects of pH, dosage, initial concentration, and contact time. The optimal conditions for ARS removal were determined to be a pH of 2, a dosage of 2 g/L, and a contact time of 60 min, resulting in a significant 55 % removal of the dye. The experimental data exhibited a good fit with the Langmuir isotherm model (R2 = 0.9637), with the maximum adsorption capacity (qm) of the pods calculated as 4.4307 mg g−1 and the binding energy constant (Kl) as −1.0732. These findings highlight the potential of Delonix regia pods as a promising and environmentally friendly option for effective ARS removal. The study emphasizes the significance of utilizing biomass-based adsorbents in addressing the environmental challenges associated with dye removal.

Polydopamine-functionalized natural cellulosic Juncus effusus fiber for efficient and eco-friendly Cr (VI) removal from wastewater

Biomass adsorbents have received extensive attention for the removal of heavy metals, but most of them had very limited adsorption capacity or needed to be modified with environmentally unfriendly chemicals to achieve acceptable performance. In this study, a green biomass adsorbent was fabricated using an abundant natural cellulosic Juncus effusus (JE) fiber and natural melanin polydopamine (PDA) through a simple mussel-inspired polymerization strategy. JE's unique hollow three-dimensional network structure provided an ideal scaffold substrate with abundant sites for dopamine polymerization deposition. This enabled the modified PDA@JE fibers to be rich in amino, hydroxyl, and other active adsorption sites, thereby endowing the PDA@JE fiber adsorbent with a promising Cr (VI) adsorption capacity of up to 145.8 mg / g. This capacity was significantly higher than that of most previously reported biomass-based adsorbents. Furthermore, 10–20 times the concentration of common interfering ions such as Ca2+, Cd2+, Cu2+, NO3-, Cl-, SO42- and PO43- had little effect on the adsorption efficiency. This study provided a green and general mussel-inspired strategy for preparing effective biomass adsorbent, offering a promising approach for utilizing natural cellulosic fibers in eco-friendly applications.

A novel modified lignin-based adsorbent for removal of malachite green and Pb2+ ions from wastewater

The development of eco-friendliness and cost-effectiveness featured lignin-based adsorbents is of great interest for the removal of organic dyes and heavy metal ions. In this work, lignin was modified by 5-sulfosalicylic acid using epichlorohydrin and formaldehyde as across-linking agents. Then the prepared lignin product (C-SAL) was applied as an adsorbent for the malachite green (MG) and Pb2+ ions, and the adsorption performances were investigated in detail via a series of experiments. The isotherm and kinetic models indicated that the chem-adsorption for both MG and Pb2+ ions occurred in monolayer, and the thermodynamic models displayed that all processes were endothermic and spontaneous. Based on the calculation, the maximum adsorption capacities (Qmax) of C-SAL could achieve 203.45 and 115.67 mg/g for MG and Pb2+ ions, respectively, which are superior to many other biomass-based adsorbents. Besides, 94.52 % and 88.27 % of initial adsorption capacities could be retained after eight cycles for MG and Pb2+ ions, respectively. Additionally, the adsorption mechanism was also comprehensively investigated by the structural change characterizations, MESP analysis and DFT calculations. The results showed that the adsorption for MG molecules took place through electrostatic, hydrogen bonding and π-π interactions, while that for Pb2+ ions was attributed to the synergistic effect of complexation, hydrogen bonding and electrostatic interactions. In summary, C-SAL has the advantages of satisfied adsorption capacity and good recyclability, which can provide a low-cost and high-efficiency way for adsorptions of pollutants in practical applications.

Remediation of Heavy Metals Using Biomass-Based Adsorbents: Adsorption Kinetics and Isotherm Models

This study aims to comprehensively investigate the current advances in water treatment technologies for the elimination of heavy metals using biomass-based adsorbents. The enhancement of adsorption capacity in biomass materials is achieved through surface modification, which increases their porosity and surface area. The study therefore focuses on the impact of different surface modification techniques on the adsorption capacity, as well as the evaluation of adsorptive removal techniques and the analysis of various isotherm and kinetics models applied to heavy metal contaminants. The utilization of kinetic and isotherm models in heavy metal sorption is crucial as it provides a theoretical background to understand and predict the removal efficiency of different adsorbent materials. In contrast to previous studies, this research examines a wide range of adsorbent materials, providing a comprehensive understanding of their efficacy in removing heavy metals from wastewater. The study also delves into the theoretical foundations of the isotherm and kinetics models, highlighting their strengths, limitations, and effectiveness in describing the performance of the adsorbents. Moreover, the study sheds light on the regenerability of adsorbents and the potential for their engineering applications. Valuable insights into the state-of-the-art methods for heavy metal wastewater cleanup and the resources required for future developments were discussed.

Construction of the molecularly imprinted adsorbent based on shaddock peel biochar sphere for highly sensitive detection of ribavirin in food and water resources

Ribavirin (RBV) that is not metabolically released into the environment can contaminate the environment and even make organisms resistant to it. Therefore, it is of great significance to establish a simple and effective method for adsorbing RBV in the environment. In this study, a novel biochar-based boronate affinity molecularly imprinted polymers (C@H@B-MIPs) were synthesized. This is the first time that shaddock peel biochar sphere was used as a carrier for specific recognition of RBV. The polymerization conditions were optimized and the binding properties of RBV were studied. Benefiting from the synergistic effect of boronate affinity and surface imprinting, the C@H@B-MIPs showed rapid equilibrium kinetics of 15 min, high adsorption capacity of 18.30 mg g-1, and excellent reusability for RBV. The linear range was 0.05–100 mg L-1, and the detection limit was 0.023 mg L-1. This method was triumphant applied to the selective adsorption of RBV in food and water resources with recovery rates of 81.4–97.7%. This study provides a practical platform for the manufacture of efficient biomass-based adsorbents.

Agricultural Solid Wastes Based Adsorbent Materials in the Remediation of Heavy Metal Ions from Water and Wastewater by Adsorption: A Review.

Adsorption has become the most popular and effective separation technique that is used across the water and wastewater treatment industries. However, the present research direction is focused on the development of various solid waste-based adsorbents as an alternative to costly commercial activated carbon adsorbents, which make the adsorptive separation process more effective, and on popularising the sustainable options for the remediation of pollutants. Therefore, there are a large number of reported results available on the application of raw or treated agricultural biomass-based alternatives as effective adsorbents for aqueous-phase heavy metal ion removal in batch adsorption studies. The goal of this review article was to provide a comprehensive compilation of scattered literature information and an up-to-date overview of the development of the current state of knowledge, based on various batch adsorption research papers that utilised a wide range of raw, modified, and treated agricultural solid waste biomass-based adsorbents for the adsorptive removal of aqueous-phase heavy metal ions. Metal ion pollution and its source, toxicity effects, and treatment technologies, mainly via adsorption, have been reviewed here in detail. Emphasis has been placed on the removal of heavy metal ions using a wide range of agricultural by-product-based adsorbents under various physicochemical process conditions. Information available in the literature on various important influential physicochemical process parameters, such as the metal concentration, agricultural solid waste adsorbent dose, solution pH, and solution temperature, and importantly, the adsorbent characteristics of metal ion removal, have been reviewed and critically analysed here. Finally, from the literature reviewed, future perspectives and conclusions were presented, and a few future research directions have been proposed.

Preparation and Characterization Studies of Biomass-Based Adsorbents for CO2 Capture

Preparation and Characterization Studies of Biomass-Based Adsorbents for CO2 Capture

Design of biomass-based N, S co-doped porous carbon via a straightforward post-treatment strategy for enhanced CO2 capture performance

Biomass-based adsorbents are considered to have great potential for CO2 capture due to their low cost, high efficiency and exceptional sustainability. The aim of this work is to design a simple method for preparing biomass-based adsorbents with abundant active sites and large numbers of narrow micropores, so as to enhance CO2 capture performance. Herein, N, S co-doped porous carbon (NSPC) was created utilizing walnut shell-based microporous carbon (WSMC) as the main framework and thiourea as N/S dopant through physical grinding and post-treatment process at a moderate temperature without any other reagents and steps. By altering the post-treatment parameters, a series of porous carbons with varying physico-chemical properties were prepared to discuss the roles of microporosity and N/S functional groups in CO2 adsorption. NSPC with narrow micropore volume of 0.74 cm3 g−1, N content of 4.89 % and S contents of 0.71 % demonstrated the highest CO2 adsorption capacity of 7.26 (0 °C) and 5.51 mmol g−1 (25 °C) at 1 bar. Meanwhile, a good selectivity of binary gas mixture CO2/N2 (15/85) of 29.72 and outstanding recyclability after ten cycles of almost 100 % adsorption capacity retention were achieved. The proposed post-treatment method was beneficial in maintaining the narrow micropores and forming N/S active sites, which together improve the CO2 adsorption performance of NSPC. The novel NSPC displays amazing CO2 adsorption characteristics, and the practical, affordable synthetic approach exhibits significant potential to produce highly effective CO2 adsorbents on a broad scale.

Fabrication of demethylated lignin-based micro-particle for efficient adsorption of malachite green from aqueous solution

Recently, the research on low-cost and renewable lignin-based adsorbent for the effective removal of organic dyes from wastewater has attracted great interest. Herein, a demethylated lignin-based micro-particle (DLMP) adsorbent with high hydroxyl content was prepared by using AlCl3 as modification reagent, which exhibited an excellent adsorption capacity for malachite green (MG). The results showed that the size distribution of DLMP was about 100–500 nm, the surface area reached 17.35 m2/g, and the phenolic hydroxyl (Ar-OH) group content was up to 5.77 mmol/g, which was much better than that of originally organosolv lignin (OL). With this DLMP as the lignin-based adsorbent, all adsorption processes fitted well with the Langmuir isothermal and the Pseudo-second-order kinetic models. The maximum adsorption capacity for MG reached 168.24 mg/g, which was higher than most of the previously published biomass-based adsorbents. Simultaneously, DLMP adsorbent could be easily regenerated, obtaining outstanding recyclability. After eight cycles, the adsorption capacity of DLMP retained at 144.59 mg/g. Finally, the investigation of the possible adsorption mechanism suggested that the synergistic interactions of electrostatic force, hydrogen bonding, π-π stacking and the superior micro-size structure significantly improved the adsorption property. In conclusion, DLMP adsorbent displays a high adsorption capacity and an excellent recyclability for the removal of MG, which might have widespread prospect in the low-cost and renewable biomass-based adsorbent.

Electrospinning Novel Sodium Alginate/MXene Nanofiber Membranes for Effective Adsorption of Methylene Blue.

Understanding how to develop highly efficient and robust adsorbents for the removal of organic dyes in wastewater is crucial in the face of the rapid development of industrialization. Herein, d-Ti3C2Tx nanosheets (MXene) were combined with sodium alginate (SA), followed by electrospinning and successive Ca2+-mediated crosslinking, giving rise to a series of SA/MXene nanofiber membranes (NMs). The effects of the MXene content of the NMs on the adsorption performance for methylene blue (MB) were investigated systemically. Under the optimum MXene content of 0.74 wt.%, SA/MXene NMs possessed an MB adsorption capacity of 440 mg/g, which is much higher than SA/MXene beads with the same MXene content, pristine MXene, or electrospinning SA NMs. Furthermore, the optimum SA/MXene NMs showed excellent reusability. After the adsorbent was reused ten times, both the MB adsorption capacity and removal rate could remain at 95% of the levels found in the fresh samples, which indicates that the electrospinning technique has great potential for developing biomass-based adsorbents with high efficiency.

Purification of biogas for methane enrichment using biomass-based adsorbents: A review

Among the others, CO2 and H2S are the major impurities present in biogas which typically hampers its direct application as biofuel. Therefore, an upgradation for the purity of biogas is a high research endeavour. In the recent past, several attempts are made to improve the quality of biogas with a focus to reduce the impact of global warming due to the excessive release of CO2. This is interesting to indicate that most of the biogas cleaning methods are expensive and very rare documents detailed the usage of sustainable materials for the purification of biogas. Given that, developments in the applications of natural materials as low-cost adsorbents used for the purification of biogas are well documented in the present review paper. Globally more than 40% of the countries utilise water scrubbing as the most popular method for the separation of biomethane. This article also reviews the other most accepted technologies such as different types of scrubbing, swing adsorption, and cryogenic separation with biological upgradation. Hybrid biological methods are used in methane upgrading systems to increase production of pure CH4 while reducing the need for energy and chemicals. Moreover, the article also summarized different numerical models, frequently adopted for the prediction of the upgradation of biomass. Finally, the article concludes with major bottlenecks involved in the processes and recommended scientific directives towards successfully transforming bench-scale studies into large-scale implementation. So, this article will ensure the readers gather overall technical information on the upgradation of biogas obtained from the anaerobic digestion of biomass.

Utilization of date pits derived Bio-adsorbent for heavy metals in wastewater treatment: Review

This article provides an overview of the role of raw and burnt date pits as bio-waste for heavy metal removal. In recent years, many studies on the adsorption properties of various low-cost adsorbents, such as agricultural waste and activated carbons based on agricultural waste, have been published. This review summarizes recent research demonstrating the utility of raw and modified date pits biomass-based adsorbents in the removal of heavy metal pollutants from wastewater. Additionally, the chemical compositions, the derived activated carbon, and the proposed mechanism of heavy metal ions were discussed. It thoroughly showed how essential variables including pH, adsorbent dosage, initial metal ion concentration, physical and chemical properties, and temperature affect the adsorption of heavy metals. The significant application of date pits as a bio-adsorbent of heavy metal ions was demonstrated. According to the literature, date pit-based adsorbents are the most promising adsorbents for removing toxic materials because they adsorb heavy metals from aqueous solutions with high capacity in a short period.

Preparation of cellulose-based porous adsorption materials derived from corn straw for wastewater purification

Various methods have been used to cope with heavy metal ion contamination in wastewater, which caused serious hazards to ecological and human health. Adsorption is one of the most frequent, economical and effective methods for removing these contaminants. Herein, a porous and amino-rich cellulose-based composite adsorbent (PEI-PCS) with anisotropic property was successfully prepared by covalently cross-linking polyethyleneimine on delignified corn straw. Combined with the porosity of straw substrate and the chelating ability of amino group to metal ions, the as-prepared PEI-PCS exhibited universality (various metal ions), rapid adsorption behavior (within 180 min achieve adsorption equilibrium), high adsorption capacity (85.47 mg g−1 for Cu(II)), and good durability (70 % of adsorption efficiency after 5 cycles). In addition, the adsorption process was conformed to pseudo-second-order dynamics and the Langmuir isotherm models. Lastly, the adsorption mechanism was also elucidated. This study provides a sustainable pathway for the manufacture of efficient biomass-based adsorbents and confirms that functionalized corn straw is a promising material for the treatment of heavy metal ions.