New versatile zincic sorbent for tobacco specific nitrosamines and lead ion capture

New carbon-doped ferric zinc oxide sorbents were fabricated to capture the environment carcinogen tobacco specific nitrosamines (TSNA) efficiently in solution, following new adsorption model of electrostatic attraction instead of traditional geometric constraints. The influence of ferric content on the structure-property of the sorbents was systemically studied with XRD, N-2 adsorption-desorption and SEM methods combined with the adsorption of TSNA in different solutions. New sorbent captured 99% of 4-methylnitrosamino-1-3-pyridyl-1-butanone (NNK) in simulated surface water and 40% of TSNA in the tobacco extract solution, more than activated carbon or zeolites. Ferric ZnO sorbent took about 15 min to reach the adsorption equilibrium in the NNK or Pb(II) solution, faster than NaZSM-5 zeolite. Moreover, the adsorbed NNK on ferric ZnO sorbent decomposed at mild conditions for the first time, providing a new way to control environment pollution.