Lysine-Modified Fe2O3 Nanoparticles Copolymerized with Acrylic Acid for Enhancing Erosion Resistance of Soil

The present study aimed to synthesize a green and nontoxic polymer emulsion for use as soil water erosion prevention materials. The P(nFe2O3-co-AA) polymer emulsion was then prepared by functionalizing iron oxide nanoparticles, preparing functional monomers, and copolymerizing these with acrylic acid. The water erosion resistance, compressive strength, and water retention of the emulsion-treated loess/red clay were investigated and germination tests were conducted. The results showed that the loess containing 0.50 wt % material resisted erosion for more than 416 h, which was 6250 times longer than for pure loess. During this time, the rate of water erosion was 0.03 ± 0.03%/h. Furthermore, the compressive strength of loess with the addition of 0.50 wt % material was 6.4 ± 0.2 MPa, which were 9.1 times higher than that of pure soil. The material demonstrated good water retention and showed no adverse effects on plant germination and growth, holding great promise for soil remediation applications.