Adsorption of an Anionic Surfactant (Sodium Dodecyl Sulfate) from an Aqueous Solution by Modified Cellulose with Quaternary Ammonium

• Main Authors: Kano, N. (Author), Miyamoto, N. (Author), Okawa, H. (Author), Zhang, H. (Author), Zou, M. (Author)
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: MDPI 2022
• Subjects: adsorption; Adsorption; Adsorption process; Alkalinity; Amines; Ammonium cations; anionic surfactant; Biophysics; Cellulose; Cotton balls; Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy; lauryl sodium sulfate (SDS); Lauryl sodium sulphate; modified cellulose; Modified cellulose; Nuclear magnetic resonance; Nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy; Positive ions; Quaternary ammonium; quaternary ammonium cation; Quaternary ammonium cation; Scanning electron microscopy; Sodium dodecyl sulfate; Sulfur compounds; Surfactant: sodium dodecyl sulfates; Synthesised; Tertiary amine; Thermoanalysis; X ray photoelectron spectroscopy
• Online Access: View Fulltext in Publisher

 In this study, a method of removing an anionic surfactant sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) from an aqueous solution by cellulose modified with quaternary ammonium cation was discussed. Cellulose, as the adsorbent, was obtained from medical cotton balls, and the quaternary ammonium cation (synthesized from dodecyl dimethyl tertiary amine and epichlorohydrin) was grafted onto the sixth hydroxyl group of D-glucose in the cellulose by the Williamson reaction under alkaline conditions. The modified cellulose was characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS); and the zeta potential of the material was also measured after confirmation of the synthesis of quaternary am-monium salts by nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR). From these analyses, a peak of the quaternary ammonium group was observed at 1637 cm−1; and it was found that the surface of the material exhibited a positive charge in pH 2–7. The optimal conditions for SDS adsorption by modified cellulose were pH of 7, contact time of 3 h, and temperature of 60◦ C in this study. Typical adsorption isotherms (Langmuir and Freundlich) were determined for the adsorption process, and the maximal adsorption capacity was estimated as 32.5 mg g−1 . The results of adsorption kinetics were more consistent with the pseudo-second-order equation, indicating that the adsorption process was mainly controlled by chemical adsorption. Furthermore, thermodynamic analysis indicated that the adsorption process of SDS on the modified cellulose was endothermic and spontaneous and that an increasing temperature was conducive to adsorption. © 2022 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland.