Effective adsorption and removal of malachite green and Pb2+from aqueous samples and fruit juices by pollen-inspired magnetic hydroxyapatite nanoparticles/hydrogel beads

To deal with the environmental pollution caused by dyes and heavy metals, it is vital to design and prepare adsorbents with efficient adsorption and removal capabilities for the regulated removal of contaminants in the environment. In this work, biomimetic apatite hydrogel beads inspired by the structure of petunia pollen were produced in order to efficiently remove lead ions (Pb2+) and malachite green (MG) by adsorption. Utilizing an ionic cross-linking approach, magnetic hydroxyapatite nanoparticles (MHNPs) were encapsulated in sodium alginate gels to make hydrogel beads (MHSB) with the structure of petunia pollen. The MG and Pb2+ adsorption capacities of MHNPs were 208.06 mg/g and 475.50 mg/g, respectively, demonstrating a satisfactory adsorption ability. In addition, the magnetic hydroxyapatite nanoparticles/hydrogel microspheres demonstrated effective MG and Pb2+ adsorption and removal in mixed adsorption studies, environmental water samples, and fruit juices, as well as in real application. Due to their sound adsorption capability and stability, magnetic MHNPs and MHSB are regarded as fairly promising composite materials for the adsorption and removal of dyes and heavy metal pollutants.

Automated summary

To address environmental pollution caused by dyes and heavy metals, it is crucial to develop adsorbents with efficient adsorption and removal capabilities. In this study, biomimetic apatite hydrogel beads resembling the structure of petunia pollen were created for the effective removal of lead ions (Pb2+) and malachite green (MG) through adsorption. By encapsulating magnetic hydroxyapatite nanoparticles (MHNPs) in sodium alginate gels using an ionic cross-linking approach, the resulting hydrogel beads (MHSB) exhibited satisfactory adsorption capacities of 208.06 mg/g for MG and 475.50 mg/g for Pb2+. The magnetic MHNPs and MHSB showed promising potential for adsorbing and removing dyes and heavy metal pollutants due to their strong adsorption capability and stability.