Preparation and application of chelating polymer-mesoporous carbon composite for copper-ion adsorption

Abstract

A mesoporous carbon material, CMK-1 was successfully functionalized with carboxymethylated polyethyleneimine (CMPEI) by a simple adsorption method. The physicochemical properties of the polymer-carbon composite (denoted as CMPEI/CMK-1) were investigated by X-ray diffraction, N-2 adsorption-desorption and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). The adsorption behaviors of Cu(II) ion on the CMK-1 and CMPEI/CMK-1 materials were examined under the batch-type experimental conditions. The CMPEI/CMK-1 material showed a typical Langmuir isotherm with a 10-fold increase in adsorption capacity, compared to that of CMK-1. In the case of 0.02 mM Cu(II) solution, the copper ions were completely removed by utilizing the CMPEI/CMK-1 material both at pH values of 3 and 5. The CMPEI/CMK-1 material also exhibited a remarkably high distribution coefficient value (K-d = 2.75 x 10(5)). The results from XPS depth profiles before and after the copper-ion adsorption indicated that the CMPEI and the adsorbed Cu(II) ions were uniformly distributed within the CMK-1 particles. (C) 2008 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.