ABSTRACT
The use of aerogels to selectively recover oil from oily wastewater is effective but challenging. In this study, a new carboxylated carbon nanotube/chitosan aerogel (CCNT/CA) with switchable wettability was developed as a smart adsorbent for fast oil absorption and oil recovery. Vinyltrimethoxysilane and thermoresponsive poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) (PNIPAAm) was grafted onto the surface of the CCNT/CA skeleton, and the resulting smart aerogel (PNI-Si@CCNT/CA) exhibited temperature responsiveness. PNI-Si@CCNT/CA exhibited an excellent reversible conversion between hydrophilicity and hydrophobicity when the temperature was changed to below or above the lower critical solution temperature (LCST) of PNIPAAm (~32 °C). Most importantly, CCNT significantly increased the oil absorption capacity, improved the mechanical properties, accelerated phonon conduction, enhanced thermal conductivity (80.57 mW m-1 K-1), improved the temperature response rate, shortened the oil desorption time (15 min), and improved the oil/water separation efficiency of PNI-Si@CCNT/CA because a strong interface interaction occurred between CCNT and chitosan. Moreover, PNI-Si@CCNT/CA absorbed oil at 45 °C and released the absorbed oil at 25 °C. It maintained its good adsorption performance after 15 cycles, and this was ascribed to its excellent mechanical properties and stable structure.
ABSTRACT
In the traditional desorption method, strong acid is commonly used as an eluent for the regeneration of adsorbents. It is of critical economic and environmental significance to develop a chemical-free desorption method. In this study, a new CO2-responsive chitosan aerogel adsorbent was synthesized from CO2-responsive poly(acrylic acid-2-(dimethylamino)ethyl methacrylate) and chitosan by physicochemical double crosslinking for the adsorption of Cu2+. Compared with the chitosan aerogel, the adsorption capacity of Cu2+ and mechanical properties of CO2-responsive chitosan aerogel increased by 162% and 660%, respectively. Most importantly, after the adsorption of Cu2+ by CO2-responsive chitosan aerogel, the Cu2+ could be desorbed by CO2 bubbling, and the desorption rate of metal ions was more than 80%. The adsorption of Cu2+ by aerogel was attributed to chelation and complexation. The desorption of porous chitosan/P(AA-co-DMAEMA) aerogels (CPA) by CO2 mainly occurred through charge repulsion of protonated âNH2 and âNâ groups. After 6 cycles, the adsorption capacity of CPA for metal ions still reached 70% of the initial adsorption capacity, and the desorption rate reached 75%. This novel CO2-responsive chitosan aerogel is a highly efficient and environmentally friendly adsorbent for the adsorption and recovery of metal ions.
