The energy-free purification of trace thallium(I)-contaminated potable water using a high-selective filter paper with multi-layered Prussian blue decoration

doi:10.1007/s11705-023-2379-8

Front. Chem. Sci. Eng.

2024, Vol. 18

Issue (2) : 13 https://doi.org/10.1007/s11705-023-2379-8

RESEARCH ARTICLE

The energy-free purification of trace thallium(I)-contaminated potable water using a high-selective filter paper with multi-layered Prussian blue decoration

Jiangyan Lu¹, Zhu Xiong¹(

), Yuhang Cheng¹, Qingwu Long², Kaige Dong¹, Hongguo Zhang¹, Dinggui Luo¹, Li Yu¹, Wei Zhang¹(

), Gaosheng Zhang¹(

)

¹. Key Laboratory for Water Quality and Conservation of the Pearl River Delta (Ministry of Education), School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Guangzhou University, Guangzhou 510006, China
². College of Light Chemical Industry and Materials Engineering, Shunde Polytechnic, Foshan 528333, China

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Abstract

Thallium is a highly toxic metal, and trace amount of thallium(I) (Tl⁺) in potable water could cause a severe water crisis, which arouses the exploitation of highly-effective technology for purification of Tl⁺ contaminated water. This report proposes the multi-layered Prussian blue (PB)-decorated composite membranes (PB_x@PDA/PEI-FP) based on the aminated filter papers for Tl⁺ uptake. Extensively characterization by Fourier transform infrared spectrometer-attenuated total reflectance, scanning electron microscope, thermogravimetric analysis, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and X-ray diffraction were performed to confirm the in situ growth of cubic PB crystals on filter paper membrane surfaces via the aminated layers, and the successful fabrication of multi-layered PB overcoats via the increasing of aminated layers. The effect of PB layers on Tl⁺ removal by PB_x@PDA/PEI-FP from simulated drinking water was evaluated as well as the influence of different experimental conditions. A trade-off between PB decoration layer number and PB distribution sizes is existed in Tl⁺ uptake by PB_x@PDA/PEI-FP. The double-layered PB₂@PDA/PEI-FP membrane showed the maximum sorption capacity, but its Tl⁺ uptake performance was weakened by the acid, coexisting ions (K⁺ and Na⁺) and powerful operation pressure, during filtrating a large volume of low-concentrated Tl⁺-containing water. However, the negative effect of coexisting ions on the Tl⁺ uptake could be effectively eliminated in weak alkaline water, and the Tl⁺ removal was increased up to 100% without any pressure driving for PB₂@PDA/PEI-FP membrane. Most importantly, PB₂@PDA/PEI-FP displayed the high-efficiency and high-selectivity in purifying the Tl⁺-spiked Pearl River water, in which the residual Tl⁺ in filtrate was less than 2 μg·L^–1 to meet the drinking water standard of United States Environmental Protection Agency. This work provides a feasible avenue to safeguard the drinking water in remote and underdeveloped area via the energy-free operation.

Keywords membrane adsorption Prussian blue energy-free filtration potable water trace thallium(I)

Corresponding Author(s): Zhu Xiong,Wei Zhang,Gaosheng Zhang

Just Accepted Date: 03 November 2023 Issue Date: 19 December 2023

Cite this article:

Jiangyan Lu,Zhu Xiong,Yuhang Cheng, et al. The energy-free purification of trace thallium(I)-contaminated potable water using a high-selective filter paper with multi-layered Prussian blue decoration[J]. Front. Chem. Sci. Eng., 2024, 18(2): 13.

URL:

https://academic.hep.com.cn/fcse/EN/10.1007/s11705-023-2379-8
https://academic.hep.com.cn/fcse/EN/Y2024/V18/I2/13

Fig.1 Schematic diagram of the membrane filtration experimental setup for the removal of Tl⁺.

Fig.2 Preparation and characterization of the PB_x@PDA/PEI-FP membranes. (a) Schematic illustration of the membrane fabrication process via surface amination and in situ mineralization. SEM images of (b, b₁) the pristine FP membrane, (c, c₁) the PDA/PEI-FP membrane, (d, d₁) the PB₁@PDA/PEI-FP membrane, (e, e₁) the PB₂@PDA/PEI-FP membrane, and (f, f₁) the PB₃@PDA/PEI-FP membrane. EDX mapping of element N and Fe on (b₂, b₃) the pristine FP membrane, (c₂, c₃) the PDA/PEI-FP membrane, (d₂, d₃) the PB₁@PDA/PEI-FP membrane, (e₂, e₃) the PB₂@PDA/PEI-FP membrane, and (f₂, f₃) the PB₃@PDA/PEI-FP membrane.

Fig.3 (a₁–a₅) The FTIR spectrums of FP, PDA/PEI-FP, PB₁@PDA/PEI-FP, PB₂@PDA/PEI-FP, and PB₃@PDA/PEI-FP; high-resolution XPS spectra of (b₁–b₅) Fe 2p and (c₁–c₅) N 1s for FP, PDA/PEI-FP, PB₁@PDA/PEI-FP, PB₂@PDA/PEI-FP, and PB₃@PDA/PEI-FP surfaces; (d₁–d₅) XRD patterns of FP, PDA/PEI-FP, PB₁@PDA/PEI-FP, PB₂@PDA/PEI-FP, and PB₃@PDA/PEI-FP.

Fig.4 Membrane filtration performance: (a) Tl⁺ removal, (b) fluxes and (c) membrane adsorption capacity of Tl⁺. (d–f) The size distribution of cubic PB particles on PB₁@PDA/PEI-FP, PB₂@PDA/PEI-FP, PB₃@PDA/PEI-FP (the filtration condition: Tl⁺ concentration is 0.5 ppm, feed solution volume is 500 mL, temperature is 25 °C, vacuum pressure is –0.07 MPa).

Fig.5 Effect of (a, a₁) temperature, (b, b₁) pH and (c, c₁) coexisting ions on Tl⁺ removal/dynamic adsorption constant (k)/fluxes, for PB₂@PDA/PEI-FP with 100 mL of Tl⁺-containing water filtrating (initial Tl⁺ concentration is 0.5 ppm, the vacuum pressure is –0.07 MPa, the concentration of each coexisting ions (e.g., Mg²⁺, Ca²⁺, Na⁺, K⁺) are 10 ppm, respectively).

Fig.6 (a) The Tl⁺ removal and fluxes of the PB₂@PDA/PEI-FP while filtrating the 100 mL of Tl⁺-containg water (0.5 ppm, pH = 7.0) as the operation pressure arranging from 0 to –0.1 MPa; (b) the Tl⁺ removal and fluxes and (c) Q_t versus time of the PB₂@PDA/PEI-FP within 100 min while filtrating the 500 mL of Tl⁺-containg water (0.5 ppm, pH = 7.0) under gravity-driven filtration (GDF).

Fig.7 (a) The Tl⁺ removal and fluxes, and (b) the kinetic analysis of PB₂@PDA/PEI-FP in remedying the Tl⁺ contaminated actual pearl river water (0.01 ppm, pH = 7.0, room temperature) via the GDF operation; (c) schematic illustration of the removal of Tl⁺ from Tl⁺-polluted water source via the emergency measure with our as-prepared membrane separation.

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