Sand/Polyethyleneimine Composites with Enhanced Sorption/Desorption Properties toward Pollutants

The direct deposition of polyethyleneimine (PEI), a weak polycation with large content amino groups, onto sand fractions different sizes (F70, F100, F200, and F355), resulted in versatile core-shell sorbents for water cleaning. Herein, PEI the polyanion poly(acrylic acid) (PAA) were directly precipitated as an nonstoichiometric polyelectrolyte complex ([PEI]:[PAA] = 2:1) surface followed by cross-linking glutaraldehyde (GA) at three molar ratios ([CHO]:[amine] 1:10; 1:5; 1:1 r). Non-crosslinked chains washed out strongly basic (pH 14) acidic 0) media. sand/PEI-GA composites evaluated to determine organic shell stability using swelling experiments X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. sorbed/desorbed amount two model pollutants (copper ions bromocresol green) column depended on fraction size degree shell. maximum recorded values, after five loading/release cycles pollutant species F70/PEI-GAr, F100/PEI-GAr, F200/PEI-GAr, F355/PEI-GAr, situated between 0.7–5.5 mg Cu2+/mL 3.7–15 BCG/mL column. Sand/PEI-GAr could act promising sorbents, low-cost eco-friendly, which be applied purification procedures.