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Updated: Jan 24, 2026

Biofunctionalization of Magnetic Nanomaterials
Published on: July 16, 2020
Fluoride uptake by three lanthanum based nanomaterials: Behavior and mechanism dependent upon lanthanum species
Yanyang Zhang1, Yue Qian2, Wei Li3
1State Key Laboratory of Pollution Control and Resource Reuse, School of the Environment, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210023, China; Research Center for Environmental Nanotechnology (ReCENT), Nanjing University, Nanjing 210023, China.
Abstract:
Excess fluoride in water can be efficiently removed by lanthanum based material, however, different lanthanum species exhibited distinct fluoride removal capability. In this study, three typical lanthanum based nanoparticles denoted as L1, L2 and L3 in the form of La(OH)3, La2O3·nH2O and LaCO3OH respectively were synthesized and well characterized for fluoride removal. They differ in terms of morphology, surface charge, water content, specific surface area and crystallinity. L2 (La2O3·nH2O) exhibited the highest adsorption capacity (~28.9 mg/g) and selectivity towards fluoride, followed by L3 (LaCO3OH) (~25.1 mg/g) and L1 (La(OH)3) (~6.03 mg/g). Despite the relatively low capacity for L1, it could be efficiently regenerated by alkaline solution for repeated use. However, both L2 and L3 suffered significant from capacity loss after regeneration. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (NMR) analysis and molecular configuration modelling suggested the distinct mechanism of fluoride adsorption onto the three materials. Fluoride was captured by L1 and L3 via electrostatic attraction and ligand exchange of different bond strength. However, a stronger LaF interaction via chemical adsorption by L2 was observed. This study provided new insights into the role of commonly used La species for fluoride removal.
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