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MONTMORILLONITE-HYDROCHAR NANOCOMPOSITES AS EXAMPLES OF CLAY–ORGANIC INTERACTIONS DELIVERING ECOSYSTEM SERVICES

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Clays and Clay Minerals

Abstract

Clay–organic interaction is an important natural process that underpins soil ecosystem services. This process can also be tailored to produce clay–organic nanocomposites for industrial and environmental applications. The organic moiety of the nanocomposites, typically represented by a toxic surfactant, could be replaced by hydrochar formed from biomolecules (e.g. glucose) via hydrothermal carbonization. The effect of montmorillonite (Mnt) and glucose dosage on hydrochar formation, however, has not been clarified. In addition, the mechanisms by which Mnt-hydrochar nanocomposites (CMnt) can detoxify and remove carcinogenic Cr(VI) from aqueous solution are not well understood. In the current study, research milestones in terms of clay–organic interactions are summarized, following which the synthesis and characterization of CMnt for Cr(VI) adsorption are outlined. Briefly, 1 g of Mnt was reacted with 75 mL of glucose solution (0.1, 0.2, 0.3, 0.4, 0.5, and 0.6 mol L−1) by hydrothermal carbonization at 200°C for 16 h. The resultant CMnt samples were analyzed for chemical composition, functional groups, morphological features, and Cr(VI) adsorptive properties. Mnt promoted the conversion of glucose to hydrochars, the particle size of which (~80 nm) was appreciably smaller than that formed in the absence of Mnt (control). Furthermore, the hydrochars in CMnt had an aromatic structure with low hydrogen substitution and high stability (C/H atomic ratio 0.34–0.99). The weakened OH (from hydrochar) and Si–O–Si stretching peaks in the Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) spectra of CMnt are indicative of chemical bonding between Mnt and hydrochar. The CMnt samples were effective at removing toxic Cr(VI) from acidic aqueous solutions. Several processes were involved, including direct reduction of Cr(VI) to Cr(III), complexation of Cr(III) with carboxyl and phenolic groups of hydrochar, electrostatic attraction between Cr(VI) and positively charged CMnt at pH 2 followed by indirect reduction of Cr(VI) to Cr(III), and Cr(III) precipitation.

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ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

The Science and Technology Agency of Guangdong Province, China (Grant No. 2020B121201014), Guangdong Technology and Equipment Research Centre for Soil and Water Pollution Control, and the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No. 41977139) are acknowledged for financial support.

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Funding sources are as stated in the Acknowledgments.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Environmental Health and Land Resource, Zhaoqing University, Zhaoqing, 526061, Guangdong, China

    Guodong Yuan

  2. Nanjing Institute of Environmental Sciences, Ministry of Ecology and Environment of China, Nanjing, 210042, Jiangsu, China

    Jing Wei

  3. Manaaki Whenua-Landcare Research, Private Bag 11052, Palmerston North, 4442, New Zealand

    Benny K. G. Theng

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  1. Guodong Yuan
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  2. Jing Wei
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Correspondence to Guodong Yuan or Jing Wei.

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This paper is based on a presentation made during the 4th Asian Clay Conference, Thailand, June 2020.

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Yuan, G., Wei, J. & Theng, B.K.G. MONTMORILLONITE-HYDROCHAR NANOCOMPOSITES AS EXAMPLES OF CLAY–ORGANIC INTERACTIONS DELIVERING ECOSYSTEM SERVICES. Clays Clay Miner. 69, 406–415 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s42860-021-00151-8

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