Diatomite has been verified as an economical adsorbent
to treat
wastewater. Unfortunately, limited by poor regeneration and an inert
surface with less active silanol groups, the retrievable and efficient
diatomite-based adsorbent needs to be further explored. Here, on the
basis of the thorough activation treatments of the raw diatomite,
we developed a diatomite-based adsorbent with a uniform assembly of
Fe3O4 nanoparticles on the surface. The nanocomposite
possesses a high specific surface area, the trait of magnetic separation,
and more functional groups for adsorption. The maximum adsorption
capacities of Pb2+, Ni2+, and Cd2+ at 314 K reached 0.97, 1.18, and 0.88 mmol/g, respectively, which
were more competitive than those of previously reported diatomite-based
adsorbents. The experimental data fitted well with the pseudo-second-order
kinetic model and Freundlich isotherm model, demonstrating that the
adsorption was mainly derived from the electrostatic interaction and
chelation between the hydroxyl/carboxyl groups on multilayer surfaces
and the hazardous metal ions. According to the analytical results
of the adsorption isotherms and response surface optimization, the
removal efficiency can exceed 94%, obtained by increasing the pH and
reaction temperature. The activation-enhanced surface engineering
can arouse the adsorption potential of a diatomite-based adsorbent
and provide universal perspectives into the concept design of a nanocomposite
adsorbent with lower cost recovery and higher adsorption efficiency.