Hydrogel microparticles (HMPs) were synthesized via reverse emulsion/UV light polymerization and employed as adsorbents for removing bisphenol A (BPA) from aqueous solution. Results demonstrated the smooth surface of HMPs, with particle size ranging from 137 to 535 μm. Functional groups, including -OH, C-O, C=O, and C-H, are all involved in BPA adsorption confirmed by FTIR. Effect of solution pH, contact time, and initial BPA concentration on adsorption process was examined. The adsorption capacity was found pH independent below pH 8.0 and decreased when pH values greater than 8.0. The maximum adsorption capacity of the HMPs for BPA was 174.77 mg/g. The adsorption process achieved an equilibrium state within 30 min by the pseudo-second-order kinetic rather than the other kinetic models and was fitted well with the Freundlich linear isotherm model. Also, the obtained isotherms reflected the formation of S-type isotherm curve according to Giles's classification. The BPA loaded on the HMPs could be totally regenerated by methanol/dimethylsulfoxide and can be used for five cycles maintaining 100% of adsorption capacity. When the HMPs were applied for the treatment of spiked real surface water, excellent results were also achieved indicating the high efficiency and potential of the adsorbent.
Hybrid hydrogel was synthesized by immobilizing TiO2 in polyethylene glycol diacrylate (TiO2@PEGDA) as an efficient adsorbent with photocatalysis property for bisphenol A (BPA) elimination. TiO2@PEGDA exhibited spherical and rough structure with limited crystallinity and abundant functional groups. The contact angle was 61.96°, indicating that TiO2@PEGDA is hydrophilic. The swelling capacity of TiO2@PEGDA (9.0%) was decreased compared with pristine PEGDA (15.6%).Adsorption results demonstrated that the maximum adsorption capacity of TiO2@PEGDA (101.4 mg/g) for BPA was slightly higher than pristine PEGDA (97.68 mg/g). The adsorption capacity was independent with pH at pH < 8.0, and decreased obviously when the value of pH was higher than 8.0. The adsorption behavior was fitted well with the pseudo-second-order kinetic and the Freundlich isotherm model. Both ΔG0 and ΔH0 were negative, indicating that BPA adsorbed on TiO2@PEGDA was an exothermic and spontaneous process. Regeneration study was performed by photocatalysis, and the adsorption capacity was 85.6% compared with the initial capacity after four cycles of illumination, indicating that TiO2@PEGDA could be recycled without significant loss of adsorption capacity. Consequently, TiO2@PEGDA can serve as an eco-friendly and promising material for efficiently adsorbing BPA with self-clean property.
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