EDTA-functionalized hierarchical porous microspheres for effective cobalt ion recovery from water

The new adsorbent EDTA@PSV, which is a hierarchical porous microsphere modified with ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid, has demonstrated its effectiveness in extracting valuable metals. With a high surface area of 665 m2 g−1 and a large porosity of 90%, it exhibits significant potential for adsorbing Co2+, as supported by density functional theory simulations and experimental results.