A cellulose-based adsorbent with pendant groups of quaternary ammonium and amino for enhanced capture of aqueous Cr(VI)

As a promising candidate of Cr(VI) decontamination, cellulose is limited in the Cr(VI) uptake due to its poor accessibility. Herein, We describe the synthesis of a novel cellulose-based adsorbent (PQC, where P and QC designate the polyethylenimine and quaternized cellulose, respectively) with functional groups of quaternary ammonium and amino for enhanced capture of Cr(VI) from water. For preparing PQC, cellulose is first quaternized homogeneously, followed by grafting and/or cross-linking with polyethylenimine in the presence of epichlorohydrin. The PQC follows the Langmuir isotherm and presents a maximum Cr(VI) uptake capacity of 490.3 mg/g at 30 °C and initial pH about 2.0, much higher than many other reported cellulose-based adsorbents. The adsorption of PQC is spontaneous and endothermic, which follows the pseudo-second-order kinetic model and achieves the equilibrium after contacting about 50 min. Furthermore, the PQC, with favorable reusability, can work well in a high coexisting anion concentration. These excellent absorption performances are attributed to its physicochemical properties such as the robust porous structure and high density of functional groups including quaternary ammonium, amino and hydroxyl, which improve the availability to capture or reduce Cr(VI). This work demonstrates the significant potential of cellulose-based adsorbent for remediating aqueous Cr(VI).