Mxene/alginate composites for lead and copper ion removal from aqueous solutions

Mxene has been widely used as a sorbent to remove heavy metal ions from sewage due to its unique two-dimensional layered structure and abundant oxygen-containing groups. However, Mxene has a relatively limited adsorption capacity for metal ions possibly due to the limited adsorption active sites. Herein, we reported novel Mxene/alginate composites for lead and copper ion removal from wastewater. The Mxene/alginate composites prepared in this study not only enhance the chelation ability of the lead and copper ions, but also accelerate the ion transport efficiency. The combined advantages of high adsorption capacity and short equilibrium time enable the Mxene/alginate composites to achieve the maximum adsorption capacity for Pb²⁺ and Cu²⁺ at 382.7 and 87.6 mg g^-1, respectively, and reach the adsorption equilibrium in 15 min. We believe that the composites developed in this study can open a new avenue for designing high adsorption capacity and high efficiency adsorbents.