Evaluation of Polyurea-Crosslinked Alginate Aerogels for Seawater Decontamination
Open Access
- 4 March 2021
- Vol. 7 (1), 27
- https://doi.org/10.3390/gels7010027
Abstract
Polyurea-crosslinked Ca-alginate (X-Ca-alginate) aerogel beads (diameter: 3.3 mm) were evaluated as adsorbents of metal ions, organic solvents, and oils. They were prepared via reaction of an aromatic triisocyanate (Desmodur RE) with pre-formed Ca-alginate wet gels and consisted of 54% polyurea and 2% calcium. X-Ca-alginate aerogels are hydrophobic nanoporous materials (90% v/v porosity), with a high BET surface area (459 m2/g−1), and adsorb PbII not only from ultrapure water (29 mg/g−1) but also from seawater (13 mg/g−1) with high selectivity. The adsorption mechanism involves replacement of CaII by PbII ions coordinated to the carboxylate groups of the alginate backbone. After treatment with a Na2EDTA solution, the beads can be reused, without significant loss of activity for at least two times. X-Ca-alginate aerogels can also uptake organic solvents and oil from seawater; the volume of the adsorbate can be as high as the total pore volume of the aerogel (6.0 mL/g−1), and the absorption is complete within seconds. X-Ca alginate aerogels are suitable for the decontamination of aquatic environments from a broader range of inorganic and organic pollutants.Keywords
Funding Information
- Special Account of Research Grants of the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens (16672, CERIC-ERIC (proposal number 20187018))
- General Secretariat for Research and Technology (matching funds 2018)
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