Hyperbranched magnetic polymer: highly efficient removal of Cr(VI) and application in electroplating wastewater

Abstract

By using a two-step hydrothermal method and trithiocyanuric acid (TTCA), 2,4,6-trihydrazino-1,3,5-triazine (THT), and Fe₃O₄ as raw materials, a spherical magnetic adsorbent polymer (TTCA/THT@Fe₃O₄) was synthesized to achieve the efficient removal of Cr(VI) from wastewater. Under optimal adsorption conditions, the maximum adsorption capacity of TTCA/THT@Fe₃O₄ for Cr(VI) can reach 1340 mg∙g^‒1. Notably, the removal efficiency can approach 98.9%, even at the lower concentration of 20 mg∙L^‒1 Cr(VI). For actual wastewater containing Cr(VI), the Cr(VI) concentration was reduced from 25.8 to 0.4 mg∙L^‒1, a remarkable 20% lower than the current industry discharge standard value. A mechanism for the high adsorption performance of Cr(VI) on TTCA/THT@Fe₃O₄ was investigated using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and density functional theory. It can be plausibly attributed to the formation of Cr/N and Cr/S coordination bonds. Additionally, surface electrostatic adsorption, reduction effects, and the spherical polymer structure increase the contact area with Cr(VI), maximizing adsorption. The synergistic effect of adsorption and reduction enhances the adsorption performance of TTCA/THT@Fe₃O₄ for Cr(VI) and total chromium in water. The resultant polymer has a simple preparation process, excellent adsorption performance, easy magnetic separation, and promising application for actual wastewater.

Key words： magnetic polymer; chromium removal; hydrogen bonding; recyclability; actual wastewater

Conflicts of interest

There are no conflicts to declare.

Acknowledgements

This work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant Nos. 22076039 and 22176051), Science Foundation for Outstanding Youth of Henan Province (Grant No. 222300420054), and Excellent Science and Technology Innovation Team of Henan Normal University (Grant No. 2021TD03). The calculations were conducted on resources provided by the High Performance Computing Center of Henan Normal University.

Electronic Supplementary Material

Supplementary material is available in the online version of this article at https://doi.org/10.1007/s11705-023-2303-2 and is accessible for authorized users.

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