Adsorption of Congo Red by chitosan porous beads reinforced with epoxy resin

This study prepared epoxy resin reinforced porous beads (CERBs) by crosslinking a water-soluble epoxy monomer, 1,4-butanediol diglycidyl ether (BDE), with chitosan (CS) using isophorone diamine (IPD) as a crosslinking agent. CERBs are prepared by a one-step method under atmospheric pressure and used for the adsorption of Congo Red (CR). The Sips isotherm model indicates that the maximum adsorption capacity of CERBs for Congo Red is 2289.2 mg g−1. CERBs have a three-dimensional network structure and strong mechanical properties, and can be reused more than 5 times maintaining a high adsorption capacity. Therefore, this material can be produced on a large scale and has great potential for commercial applications.