Magnetically recyclable mesoporous carbon/zirconia composites for highly efficient removal of Cr(III) organic complexes from high salinity water: adsorption behavior and mechanism

In this study, zirconia-functionalized magnetic core-shell mesoporous carbon composites (Fe3O4@C-ZrO2) were synthesized for the effective removal of Cr(III)-EDTA in high-salinity wastewater. Fe3O4@C-ZrO2 with Fe3O4 as a magnetic core and ZrO2 embedded in a mesoporous carbon skeleton were prepared by the sol-gel method in the nano-casting stage, which can be magnetically separated. The presence of ZrO2 on the adsorbents enhanced the adsorption of Cr(III)-EDTA and the maximum adsorption capacity of Fe3O4@C-ZrO2 was 16.21 mg<middle dot>g-1 at pH = 3.0, which is remarkably higher than that of Fe3O4@C (3.65 mg<middle dot>g-1). Fe3O4@C-ZrO2 has a strong anti-interference capability for cations in water, which can exhibit effective adsorption properties in presence of high concentration cations and anions (80 mmol<middle dot>L-1) and high salt/complexant agent environments. Cr(III)-EDTA removal by adsorption of Fe3O4@C-ZrO2 was mainly through the formation of ternary complexes between ZrO2 in Fe3O4@C-ZrO2 and carboxylic acid groups in Cr(III)-EDTA. The Cr(III)-EDTA saturated Fe3O4@C-ZrO2 can be easily regenerated in 0.1 mol<middle dot>L-1 NaOH than in 0.1 mol<middle dot>L-1 HCl and still demonstrated an effective adsorption capacity for Cr(III)-EDTA after three repeated cycles. The results reflect the effective removal of Cr(III)-EDTA by Fe3O4@C-ZrO2 in high-salinity water, providing a new method for removing heavy metals in complex water.