Titanium dioxide-coated carbon nanotube network filter for rapid and effective arsenic sorption

In this study, a TiO2-coated carbon nanotube (CNT) network filter was prepared via a simple filtration–steam hydrolysis method and evaluated with respect to aqueous arsenic removal. The TiO2 coating was 5.5 ± 2.7 nm thick, completely covered the CNT network surface, and had a specific surface area of 196 m(2) g(–1), which was ∼2-fold greater than that of the CNT network. The TiO2–CNT As sorption kinetics increased with both increasing flow rate and cell potential, with increasing flow rate having a significantly stronger effect. At 6 mL min(–1) in the absence of potential and in recirculation mode, the first-order As sorption rate constants were 4.3 and 4.4 s(–1) for As(III) and As(V), respectively. The TiO2–CNT electro-assisted equilibrium sorption capacities at a cell potential of 2 V for effluent [As] = 10 ppb in single-pass mode were 1.8 and 1.3 mg g(–1) for As(III) and As(V), respectively. The enhanced TiO2–CNT filter As sorption kinetics and capacity result from increased mass transport due to internal convection and pore radius range, improved sorption site accessibility due to porosity and TiO2 dispersion, and reduced TiO2 negative surface charge due to anodic capacitance. Groundwater samples containing 44 ppb As were treated by single-pass filtration, and 12,500 bed volumes (residence time of 4.5 s; 127 L m(–2) h(–1); 5.8 mg m(–2) h(–1)) were filtered prior to the effluent As level reaching >10 ppb. A spent TiO2 filter was successfully regenerated by 5 mM NaOH for both As(III) and As(V).