Chitosan-multilayered graphene oxide hybrid beads for Zn2+and metoprolol adsorption

Chitosan (CS) hydrogel beads and hybrid beads made of a blending of CS hydrogels and Multilayer Graphene Oxide (MGO) were synthesized. The hybrid beads were prepared by gelation in NaOH solution of a 1 wt% CS acid solution with addition of MGO at either 1.5 wt% or 3 wt% loading rates. Prepared beads were characterized by infrared spectroscopy, thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), scanning electron cryo-microscopy and Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET) specific surface area mea-surements. Zn2+ and Metoprolol (MTP) adsorption kinetics and isotherms were studied on the pris-tine and hybrid CS hydrogel beads. The adsorption kinetics of Zn2+ and MTP in hybrid beads is limited by the diffusion to the MGO sites depending on their accessibility. While pure CS is not efficient for the MTP adsorption, the Langmuir-type isotherms of the 3 wt% MGO hydrogel beads (dose: 5 mg/100 mL) show 163 mg.g-1 maximum adsorption uptake. The MTP adsorption kinetics and isotherm suggest a MTP trapping on the MGO anionic sites (carboxylate groups) by electrostatic interactions. The Zn2+ adsorption capacities are the highest for the 3 wt% MGO hydrogel beads (236 mg.g-1), and only of 40 mg.g-1 for the pure CS beads. The presence of Zn2+ adsorption sites in the hybrid bead, such as MGO carboxylate groups giving electrostatic interactions, and CS amine groups leading to complexa-tion, provides synergic adsorption effects. The competitive adsorption of Zn2+ with respect to MTP in equimolar mixture was observed on hybrid beads (dose: 200 mg/100 mL) at 2 mmol.L-1 initial total concentration. At pollutant initial total concentration lower than 1.5 mmol.L-1, no competition oc-curs. The regeneration at pH 4 of the hybrid beads toward MTP or Zn2+ adsorption was found to be 35-40% of the initial adsorption uptake for five adsorption/regeneration cycles.