Sulfur and nitrogen co-doped carbon dots (NSCDs) were quickly synthesized by the microwave-assisted method from triammonium citrate and thiourea. NSCDs showed a quantum yield of 11.5% with excitation and emission bands at 355 and 432 nm, respectively. Also, a fluorescence quenching was observed in the presence of Pb(II) ions, and the as-synthesized CDs were used as a sensitive probe for detecting Pb(II) in water and food samples. The results showed the optimal conditions for Pb(II) determination were CDs concentration of 0.02 mg mL− 1 at pH 6.0–7.0 and an incubation time of 20 min. The relative fluorescence intensity of NSCDs was proportional to Pb(II) concentrations in the range of 0.029–2.40 and 2.40–14.4 μmol L− 1 with a correlation coefficient (R2) of 0.998 and 0.955, respectively, and a detection limit of 9.2 × 10– 3 μmol L− 1. Responses were highly repeatable, with a standard deviation below 3.5%. The suggested method demonstrates the potential of a green, fast, and low-cost approach for Pb(II) determination in water, tea, and rice samples with satisfying results.

Heavy metal pollution has a harmful impact on human health and is regarded as a vital problem. Preparation of a novel, low cost bio-sorbent for heavy metal sorption is the main target of this research. Non-living Chlorella Vulgaris Alga/Date pit activated carbon composite (1:1), (CV/AC), is a novel bio-sorbent prepared by the wet-chemical method for sorption of Pb (II) and Sr (II) from aqueous media. The optimum pH for sorption reaction is 5 and the equilibrium time is achieved within 1 h. The sorption efficiencies are 90.5% for Pb(II) and 95.7% for Sr(II) with initial concentration Co 10 mg L– 1 at 298 K. The monolayer sorption capacities of CV/AC composite at 298 K and pH = 5 were 6.34 ± 0.059, 5.97 ± 0.22 mg g– 1. The saturation capacities were 98.5 and 125 mg g– 1 for Pb (II) and Sr (II), respectively after 10 days. The sorption process is a spontaneous and endothermic reaction. It follows a pseudo-2nd-order mechanism. The results are suggestive of the need to adopt CV/AC composite as a potential bio-sorbent of Pb (II) and Sr (II) for waste water treatment.

In the present study, the removal of Pb (II) ions on oxidized activated carbons (ACs) was investigated. ACs were derived from activation of indigenous cotton stalks waste with potassium hydroxide (KOH) in two-stage process. The KOH-ACs were subjected to liquid-phase oxidation with hot HNO3 and one untreated sample was included for comparison. The obtained carbons were characterized by Fourier transform infrared (FTIR), slurry pH and N2-adsorption at 77 K, respectively. Adsorption capacity of Pb (II) ions on the resultant carbons was determined by batch equilibrium experiments. The experimental results indicated that the oxidation with nitric acid was associated with a significant increase in mass of yield as well as a remarkable reduction in internal porosity as compared to the untreated carbon. The AC-800N revealed higher adsorption capacity than that of AC-800, although the former sample exhibited low surface area and micropore volume. It was observed that the adsorption capacity enhancement attributed to pore widening, the generation of oxygen functional groups and potassium containing compounds leading to cation-exchange on the carbon surface. These results show that the oxidized carbons represented prospective adsorbents for enhancing the removal of heavy metals from wastewater.

The composites of alginate, carbon nanotube, and iron(III) oxide were prepared for the removal of heavy metal in aqueous pollutant. Both alginate and carbon nanotube were used as an adsorbent material and iron oxide was introduced for the easy recovery after removal of heavy metal to eliminate the secondary pollution. The morphology of composites was investigated by FE-SEM showing the carbon nanotubes coated with alginate and the iron oxide dispersed in the alginate matrix. The ferromagnetic properties of composites were shown by including iron(III) oxide additive. The copper ion removal was investigated with ICP AES. The copper ion removal efficiency increased greatly over 60% by using alginate-carbon nanotube composites.

Crushed, depitted peach stones were impregnated activated with 50% H3PO4 followed by pyrolysis at 500℃. Two activated carbons were produced, one under its own evolved gases during pyrolysis, and the second conducted with air flow throughout the carbonization stage. Physicochemical properties were investigated by several procedures; carbon yield, ash content, elemental chemical analysis, TG/DTG and FTIR spectra. Porosity characteristics were determined by the conventional N2 adsorption at 77 K, and data analyzed to get the major texture parameters of surface area and pore volume. Highly developed activated carbons were obtained, essentially microporous, with slight effect of air on the porous structure. Oxygen was observed to be markedly incorporated in the carbon matrix during the air treatment process. Cation exchange capacity towards Cu (II) and Cd (II) was tested in batch single ion experimental mode, which proved to be slow and a function of carbon dose, time and initial ion concentration. Copper was up taken more favorably than cadmium, under same conditions, and adsorption of both cations was remarkably enhanced as a consequence of the air treatment procedure. Sequestration of the metal ions was explained on basis of the combined effect of the oxygen functional groups and the phosphorous-containing compounds; both contributing to the total surface acidity character.

Treatment of water hyacinth with sulphuric acid produces carbonaceous materials that have been used to remove Cu(II) and Cd (II) ions from aqueous solutions. Untreated water hyacinth was also used for the subject of comparison. The textural properties of the carbonaceous materials were determined from nitrogen adsorption at 77 K. The optimum pH for the sorption of Cu (II) and Cd (II) ions on the investigated sorbents was determined. Dynamic adsorption measurements have been taken at 298 K whereas equilibrium measurements were carried out at 298, 313 and 323 K. The adsorption of nitrogen at 77 K on the untreated sample was too low and the surface areas of the treated samples 2, 3 and 4 were found between 70-208 m2/g. The total pore volumes of these samples which were determined for the carbonaceous materials investigated were found to be 0.076-0.140 ml/g. The kinetic adsorption data of Cu (II) and Cd(II) were applicable to both pseudo - first and pseudo-second order but fit more the latter order. The equilibrium adsorption data were found to fit Freundlich and Langmiur equations. The values of DG, DH and DS are all negative indicating the feasibility and the spontaneous nature of the sorption of Cu (II) and Cd (II) ions by the sorbents investigated.

The influence of carbon surface area, carbon-oxygen groups associated with the carbon surface and the solution pH on the adsorption of Pb(II) ions from aqueous solutions has been studied using three activated carbons. The adsorption isotherms are Type I of BET classification and the data obeys Langmuir adsorption equation. The BET surface area has little effect on the adsorption while it is strongly influenced by the presence of acidic carbon oxygen surface groups. The amount of these surface groups was enhanced by oxidation of the carbons with different oxidizing agents and reduced by eliminating these groups on degassing at different temperatures. The adsorption of Pb(II) ions increases on each oxidation and decreases on degassing the oxidized carbons. The increase in adsorption on oxidation has been attributed to the formation of acidic carbon-oxygen surface groups and the decrease to the elimination of these acidic surface groups on degassing. The adsorption is also influenced by the pH of the aqueous solution. The adsorption is only small at pH values lower than 3 but is considerably larger at higher pH values. Suitable mechanisms consistent with the adsorption data have been suggested.

Based on the previous results of the equilibrium and batch adsorptions, the removal efficiency of the two-step surface-modified activated carbon (2ndAC) for heavy metal ions such as Pb, Cd, and Cr in fixed column was evaluated by comparing with that of the as-received activated carbon (AC) and the first surface-modified activated carbon (1stAC). The order of metal removal efficiency was found as 2ndAC 〉 1stAC 》 AC, and the efficiency of the 2ndAC maintained over 98% from the each metal solution. Increase of the removal efficiency by the second surface modification was contributed to maintain favorable pH condition of bulk solution during adsorption process. The removal of the heavy metals on the 2ndAC was selective with Pb being removed in preference to Cr and Cd in multicomponent solutions and slightly influenced by phenol as the organic material.

A new chemosensor based on a self-assembled system has been devised to detect Hg2+ions efficiently. We demonstrated that the amphiphilic building blocks consisting of pyrene and boronic acid (1) aggregate in aqueous solutions and provide an outstanding sensing platform for sensitive detection. The self-assembled 1 exhibited high selectivity and sensitivity for Hg2+ion detection via fluorescence quenching, where the Hg2+ion detection ensued from a fast transmetallation of 1. The Stern-Volmer (SV) quenching constant for its fluorescence quenching by Hg2+ions was approximately 1.58 × 108 M-1. In addition, self-assembled 1 exhibited excellent sensing abilities at nano-molar concentration levels when tap water and freshwater samples were contaminated with of Hg2+ ions.

Zeolite was synthesized from power station waste, coal fly ash, as an alternative low-cost adsorbent and investigated for the removal of Sr(II) and Cs(I) ions from single- and binary metal aqueous solutions. In order to investigate the adsorption characteristics, the effects of various operating parameters such as initial concentration of metal ions, contact time, and pH of the solutions were studied in a batch adsorption technique. The Langmuir model better fitted the adsorption isotherm data than the Freundlich model. The pseudo second-order model was found more applicable to describe the kinetics of system. The adsorption capacities of Sr(II) and Cs(I) ions obtained from the Langmuir model were 1.7848 mmol/g and 0.7640 mmol/g, respectively. Although the adsorption capacities of individual Sr(II) and Cs(I) ions was less in the binary-system, the sum of the total adsorption capacity (2.3572 mmol/g) of both ions in the binary-system was higher than the adsorption capacity of individual ion in the single-system. Comparing the homogeneous film diffusion model with the homogeneous particle diffusion model, the adsorption was mainly controlled by the particle diffusion process.

Removal of Pb(Ⅱ), Cu(Ⅱ), Cr(Ⅲ) and Zn(Ⅱ) ions from aqueous solutions using the adsorption process on domestic loess minerals has been investigated. Variations of contact time, pH, adsorption isotherms and selectivity of coexisting ions and leachate were experimental parameters. YDI, YPT and KRT samples diluted in 1% aquous solution which was adjusted pH 10.8, 8.0 and 6.50, respectively. The result of XRD measurement, Quartz was mainly observed in all samples. In the case of KRT sample, Kaolinite, Feldspar, Chlorite consisting of clay minerals shows almost same pattern with YPT samples. Different properties showed from the YDI sample containing Iillite, remarkably.For all the metals, maximum adsorption was observed at 30min ∼ 60min. Adsorption of metal ions on loess minerals were reached an equilibrium by shaking the solution for about 30min. Removal efficiency of Pb(Ⅱ) ion for KRT, YPT and YDI were 84.7%, 92% and 100%, respectively. The Cu(Ⅱ) and Zn(Ⅱ) adsorptivity on KRT showed the low in various pH solution However, those on YPT and YDI were high than 90% except for the pH 2 solution. The orders of adsorptivities for domestic loess minerals showed as following : YPT>KRT>YDI. The adsorption isotherms of Cu(Ⅱ) and Zn(Ⅱ) ions on clay minerals were fitted to a Freundlich's. Freundlich constants(1/n) of KRT and YPT domestic loess minerals were 0.63, 0.97 and 0.36, 0.25, respectively.