Magnetic P(AA-AM)/SA-BC-Fe₃O₄ Composite Hydrogel: Synthesis, Characterization, and Enhanced Adsorption Performance...

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Environmental Science
• Chemical Engineering

Background:

• Dye-contaminated wastewater poses significant environmental challenges.
• Development of efficient, separable, and reusable adsorbents is crucial for water treatment.
• Existing adsorbents often lack integrated magnetic separation or long-term stability.

Purpose of the Study:

• To synthesize and characterize a novel magnetic composite hydrogel, P(AA-AM)/SA-BC-Fe3O4, for efficient dye removal.
• To investigate the adsorption mechanism and performance of the hydrogel for methylene blue (MB).
• To evaluate the hydrogel's reusability and magnetic separation capabilities.

Main Methods:

• Free radical polymerization was used to synthesize the P(AA-AM)/SA-BC-Fe3O4 hydrogel composite.
• Characterization techniques included FTIR, XRD, SEM, BET, and VSM to confirm structure and properties.
• Adsorption experiments were conducted to assess performance under various conditions (pH, kinetics, isotherms).

Main Results:

• The synthesized hydrogel exhibited a 3D porous structure with superparamagnetic properties due to Fe3O4 nanoparticles.
• Adsorption followed pseudo-second-order kinetics and Langmuir isotherm, indicating chemisorption and monolayer adsorption.
• The hydrogel showed optimal performance in weakly alkaline conditions and retained 77% capacity after five cycles.

Conclusions:

• The magnetic composite hydrogel demonstrates high adsorption capacity and efficient magnetic separation for MB.
• The synergistic effect of biochar and Fe3O4 nanoparticles enhances adsorption and separability.
• This material presents a viable solution for practical wastewater treatment, combining efficiency and reusability.