Enhanced removal of Cr(VI) via in-situ synergistic reduction and fixation by polypyrrole/sugarcane bagasse composites

Reduction and recycling of Cr(VI) can offer environmental governance and sustainable development. Polypyrrole/sugarcane bagasse composites (PPy/SCB) for efficient adsorption and reduction of Cr(VI) in wastewater were prepared by in-situ polymerization. The effects of the initial pH, Cr concentration, adsorbent dosage, contact time, composition ratio and temperature on adsorption capacity were explored. The optimal Cr(VI) adsorption capacity of PPy/SCB was achieved when the pH value was 2.0. The adsorbents before and after adsorption were characterized, which confirmed that adsorption process affects the morphology, composition and structure of the PPy/SCB surface. The adsorption kinetics data of Cr(VI) were best fitted by the pseudo-second-order model, which indicated that Cr(VI) concentration gradient played a driving role in this process. The adsorption isotherm data were consistent with the Langmuir isotherm model with the adsorption capacity of 156-251 mg/g. Synergic effect of PPy and SCB during the processes of electrostatic adsorption and ion exchange, in-situ reduction of electron donors, and coordination were found to be responsible for the rapid removal and toxicity reduction of total Cr in aqueous solution. Cr(VI) anions can be chelated by oxygen-containing functional groups on SCB surface after reduction to simple cations, which was confirmed by Fourier transform infrared spectrometry and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy results. This study provides a reasonable scheme for the targeted use of waste biomass for heavy metal pollution control.