Dual magnetization and amination of cellulosic chains for the efficient adsorption of heavy metals

Compounds functionalized with hydroxyl and amino groups were found to have good potential for the adsorption of different ions. In this work, a new system of cellulosic chains was amended with amine substitutions and bonded to a magnetic core of NiFe₂O₄@SiO₂ to form NiFe₂O₄@SiO₂-cellulose-NH₂ system. The prepared sample showed suitable magnetic separation and was characterized via XRD, FT-IR, SEM, EDS, and TGA-DTA analyses. The adsorption potential of NiFe₂O₄@SiO₂-cellulose-NH₂ system has been investigated on the heavy metals (Cd, Ni, and Pb) removal from a synthetic wastewater environment. The results show that the magnetic property created by the magnetic core increased the recycling potential of the adsorbent and the magnetic core has a positive effect on the absorption potential of the polymer. The adsorption removal of Cd(II), Ni(II), and Pb(II) ions was studied using NiFe₂O₄@SiO₂-cellulose-NH₂ systems in different pH, temperatures, metal ion concentrations, and adsorbent dosages. The maximum adsorption capacities of single heavy metal ions were obtained as 406.44 mg/g (for Cd(II) ions), 411.63 mg/g (for Ni(II) ions), and 414.68 mg/g (for Pb(II) ions) under optimized conditions as pH = 6.5, ion concentration: 500 mg/L, adsorbent dosage: 1.2 g/L and room temperature.