Adsorbent for resorcinol removal based on cellulose functionalized with magnetic poly(dopamine)

A simple chemical bonding method to synthesize magnetic cellulose–poly(dopamine) (Fe 3 O 4 @ [email protected] ) was reported. The adsorption behaviors of resorcinol in aqueous solution on Fe 3 O 4 @ [email protected] were systematically investigated. As the results shown that, with the advantage of high surface area, abundant hydroxyl and amino groups of Fe 3 O 4 @ [email protected] , and the magnetic property of Fe 3 O 4 , the resorcinol can be easily and rapidly extracted from the water by magnetic attraction under investigation. The adsorption equilibrium of Fe 3 O 4 @ [email protected] for resorcinol corresponded with Freundlich isotherm, and the novel adsorbent exhibited better resorcinol removal efficiency in solutions with low pH. It was found that the resorcinol adsorption performance of Fe 3 O 4 @ [email protected] strongly depends on their surface charge concentration and specific surface area. These results provide evidences for estimating and optimizing the removal of phenols from the wastewater by using of Fe 3 O 4 @ [email protected] composites in the future.