Application of magnetic chitosan composites for the removal of toxic metal and dyes from aqueous solutions

Magnetic chitosan composites (MCCs) are a novel material that exhibits good sorption behavior toward various toxic pollutants in aqueous solution. These magnetic composites have a fast adsorption rate and high adsorption efficiency, efficient to remove various pollutants and they are easy to recover and reuse. These features highlight the suitability of MCCs for the treatment of water polluted with metal and organic materials. This review outlines the preparation of MCCs as well as methods to characterize these materials using FTIR, XRD, TGA and other microscopy-based techniques. Additionally, an overview of recent developments and applications of MCCs for metal and organic pollutant removal is discussed in detail. Based on current research and existing materials, some new and futuristic approaches in this fascinating area are also discussed. The main objective of this review is to provide up-to-date information about the most important features of MCCs and to show their advantages as adsorbents in the treatment of polluted aqueous solutions. (C) 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.