Summary: | In this study, we prepared a novel calcium alginate-disodium ethylenediaminetetraacetate dihydrate hybrid aerogel (Alg-EDTA) by chemical grafting and vacuum-freeze-drying to remove heavy metal ions from wastewater. Experimental results show that the as-prepared Alg-EDTA adsorbent has a high affinity for heavy metal ions, such as Cd<sup>2+</sup>, Pb<sup>2+</sup>, Cu<sup>2+</sup>, Cr<sup>3+</sup>, and Co<sup>2+</sup>, and can adsorb >85% of metal ions from the corresponding solution. Alg-EDTA also exhibits high selectivity toward Cd<sup>2+</sup>, and the maximum adsorption capacity for Cd<sup>2+</sup> reached 177.3 mg/g, which exceeds the adsorption capacity of most reported Cd<sup>2+</sup>-adsorbents. Adsorbent regeneration can be achieved by a simple acid-washing process, and adsorption performance of Alg-EDTA remains stable after repeated use. All these findings indicate that Alg-EDTA has a promising prospect in the treatment of heavy metal ions wastewater.
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