Ti3C2Tx MXene-derived hydroxyl-rich titanate based hybrid membrane with cellulose as structural regulator for highly-efficient disposition of heavy metal ions

Exploring an efficient and stable adsorbent material for purification of toxic heavy metal ions wastewater is of great significance. However, as a typical heavy metal ions adsorbent, titanate can still improve in material synthesis, adsorption efficiency and the recyclability . Herein, a novel titanate-based adsorbent which composing of Ti 3 C 2 T x MXene-derived hydroxy-rich titanate and cellulose was fabricated for efficient removal of toxic heavy metal ions. Owing to the similar stratified structure, the conversion from Ti 3 C 2 T x MXene to titanate is energy-saving and easy to achieve. In addition, the inherited hydroxy-rich property is beneficial to improve the adsorption efficiency of the derived titanate. Furthermore, the introduction of cellulose as a structural regulator to fabricate the titanate/cellulose membrane could greatly alleviate the problem of difficult recycling of powder adsorbent. Thus, the constructed Ti 3 C 2 T x -derived hydroxy-rich titanate/cellulose membrane adsorbent (M-NTO/CM) exhibits high Cu 2+ adsorption capacity of 2.63 mmol g −1 and can reach the adsorption equilibrium in only 5 min. Better yet, there has also been a significant improvement in acid resistance and recyclability of the M-NTO/CM relative to traditional titanate. In short, M-NTO/CM derived from Ti 3 C 2 T x MXene can be used as an advanced membrane for convenient and efficient purification of heavy metal ions from the wastewater.