Significantly enhanced sedimentation and adsorption of clay materials by plasma-initiated polymerization

Except for the high adsorption capacity, the color of the adsorbent suspension and the solid-liquid separation characteristics are also essential factors for adsorption material in wastewater management. Here, a novel car-boxymethyl chitosan grafted magnetic montmorillonite (CMC@MMt) adsorbent-material with large metal ions uptake capacity, transparent solution, excellent turbidity, and low cytotoxicity in human hepatic cells (HepG2 cells) was successfully synthesized by plasma technology. The adsorption performance for different metal ions, the turbidity property, and the toxicity of CMC@MMt were evaluated by systematic studies. The results indicate that adding of CMC could enhance the adsorption capacity because of -NH2, -COOH, and -OH functional groups. Especially the turbidity property of montmorillonite was also improved due to the enlarged grain size and the polarity reduction. This research will promote the application of clay mineral-based material in envi-ronmental pollution control, such as preconcentration and immobilization of heavy metal ions.

Automated summary

A novel car-boxymethyl chitosan grafted magnetic montmorillonite (CMC@MMt) adsorbent-material with high adsorption capacity, transparent solution, and low cytotoxicity was successfully synthesized. The addition of carboxymethyl chitosan enhanced the adsorption capacity and improved the turbidity property of montmorillonite.