Sorption of peat humic acids to multi-walled carbon nanotubes

Sorption of humic acids (HAs) from a peat soil by multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) was examined in this work. Sorption rate of HAs to MWCNTs was dominantly controlled by their diffusion from liquid-MWCNT boundary to MWCNT surfaces. Size exclusion chromatography analysis did not detect preferential sorption of HA fractions to MWCNTs at equilibrium, whereas the components with lower molecular weight in some HA fractions (e.g., HA1) would more preferentially be sorbed to MWCNTs at the initial sorption stage. Equilibrium sorption intensity of HAs by MWCNTs was dependent on their surface area and a sum of meso- and macropore volume. The surface area and sum of meso- and macroporosity-normalized sorption coefficient (K(d)) values of a given HA by MWCNTs increased with increasing outer diameter of MWCNTs, because MWCNTs with larger outer diameter were more strongly dispersed by HAs thereby making more sorption sites exposed for HA sorption. Van der Waals interaction between the alkyl components rather than the aromatic ones of HAs with MWCNTs was likely the key driving force for their sorption. This study highlights the sorption rate-controlling step of HAs from a same source to MWCNTs and the major factors affecting their sorption intensity at equilibrium.