Improving the adsorption potential of chitosan for heavy metal ions using aromatic ring-rich derivatives

This study describes the simple preparation process of modified chitosan (CS) that can effectively adsorb lead ion in the aqueous medium. To design this adsorbent with high binding sites, the Schiff base ligand with three aromatic rings, 3,3-diphenylpropylimine methyl benzaldehyde (PPIMB), is synthesized. The PPIMB forms several new binding sites in modified CS by making a new imine bond with free NH₂ in CS structure. The structural and physicochemical characteristics of the magnetically modified chitosan (MCS-PPIMB) are evaluated by FTIR, XRD, SEM, EDX, DLS, VSM, and TG techniques. The effect of some factors, such as pH, collision time, adsorbent dosage, and initial concentration of Pb(II), is investigated on the adsorption capacity of the adsorbent. The adsorption capacity of MCS-PPIMB against Pb(II) is obtained 230.48 mg/g. The adsorption behavior of MCS-PPIMB is fitted efficiently by the Langmuir isotherm model. The fluorometric studies show that the adsorbent has a sharp emission peak at 698 nm, and Pb(II) ion can quench the fluorescence emission of MCS-PPIMB at low concentration. The theoretical studies confirm the strong binding energy of the Pb atom with aromatic rings and imine groups of the MCS-PPIMB.