Surface functionalization of MXene with chitosan through in-situ formation of polyimidazoles and its adsorption properties

In this work, a novel imidazoles-MXene hybrid composite, namely polyimidazoles chain overlaying on the surface of MXene (Ti3C2@IMIZ), was prepared by a simple method. Through this strategy, imidazoles can be in situ growth on the surface of MXenes via a facile multicomponent reaction using chitosan as a renewable reactant. Based on the characterization results, we demonstrated that a thin layer imidazoles with an ordered chain structure was embedded on the surface of Ti3C2, which resulted in the formation of a novel imidazolesMXene hybrid composite. The adsorption performance of Ti3C2@IMIZ for removal environmental pollutants was evaluated using heavy metal ions of Cr(VI) as adsorbate. Detailed adsorption characteristics of Ti3C2@IMIZ including operational factors, adsorption kinetics and isotherms models were investigated. XPS analysis showed that Cr(VI) was converted to Cr(III) with low toxicity during the adsorption process. The adsorption of Cr(VI) and reduction of Cr(VI) to Cr(III) contribute to elimination of Cr(VI) species. The adsorption behavior and process analysis show that the adsorption mechanism is mainly physical adsorption through electrostatic interaction. The excellent reproducibility suggests that Ti3C2@IMIZ may be a potential candidate for remove of Cr(VI) in actual sewage treatment.

Automated summary

A novel imidazoles-MXene hybrid composite was prepared, showing enhanced adsorption capacity for heavy metal ions of Cr(VI). The in-situ growth of imidazoles on MXene surface resulted in the conversion of Cr(VI) to less toxic Cr(III), contributing to the elimination of pollutants. The adsorption mechanism was mainly physical adsorption via electrostatic interaction, with potential application in sewage treatment for Cr(VI) removal.