Journal Article

Synthesis of Amorphous MnFe@SBA Composites for Efficient Adsorptive Removal of Pb from Aqueous Solution

Chen, Fan, Deng, Lin, Shi, Zhou, Cai, Yishu, Zhu, Aogui

2025

Overview

The extensive release of water contaminated with lead (Pb(II)) and antimony (Sb(V)) constitutes a serious threat to the human living environment and public health, necessitating immediate attention. In this study, a novel MnFe@SBA composite was synthesized using the hydrothermal method through the in situ growth of MnFe[sub.2]O[sub.4] on SBA-15. The MnFe@SBA exhibits an amorphous structure with a high specific surface area of 405.9 m[sup.2]/g and pore sizes ranging from 2 to 10 nm. Adsorption experiments demonstrated that MnFe@SBA removed over 99% of Pb(II) and 80% of Sb(V) within 120 min at initial concentrations of 10 mg/L, whereas both MnFe[sub.2]O[sub.4] and SBA-15 exhibited poor adsorption capacities. Additionally, the MnFe@SBA displayed excellent tolerance towards coexisting cations, including Na[sup.+], K[sup.+], Mg[sup.2+], Ca[sup.2+], Zn[sup.2+], Ni[sup.2+], and Cd[sup.2+], as well as anions such as Cl[sup.−], NO[sub.3] [sup.−], CO[sub.3] [sup.2−], and PO[sub.4] [sup.3−]. The adsorption behavior of Pb(II) onto MnFe@SBA was satisfactorily described by the pseudo-second-order kinetic model and the Freundlich isotherm, while the adsorption of Sb(V) was well-fitted by the pseudo-second-order kinetic model and the Langmuir isotherm. At 318 K, the maximum adsorption capacities of MnFe@SBA for Pb(II) and Sb(V) were determined to be 329.86 mg/g and 260.40 mg/g, respectively. Mechanistic studies indicated that the adsorption of Pb(II) and Sb(V) onto MnFe@SBA involved two primary steps: electrostatic attraction and complexation. In conclusion, the MnFe@SBA is anticipated to serve as an ideal candidate for efficient removal of Pb(II) and Sb(V) from contaminated water.

• Publisher: MDPI AG
• Subject: Adsorption