Cationic surfactant modified attapulgite for removal of phenol from wastewater

In order to improve the adsorption and removal function of attapulgite (ATP) for phenol, we synthesized a cationic surfactant (Gemini) with double cation active sites and used it to modify ATP combined with cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB). The analysis results of infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and proton nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (1 H NMR) confirmed the special structure of Gemini. Compared with pure ATP (P-ATP), Gemini modified ATP (G-ATP) not only have better dispersibility, but also has abundant active cationic groups on the surface. Moreover, the cationic surfactant molecule could replace the adsorbed water on the ATP surface, enhancing the surface hydrophobicity of G-ATP. Therefore, the positively charged G-ATP with a hydrophobic surface can not only interact with the π-π interaction between the benzene ring in the phenol molecular structure, but also adsorb phenol through electrostatic attraction. The adsorption behavior of modified ATP on phenol conformed to the Freundlich isotherm adsorption model, indicating that phenol molecules bind to the modified ATP in a multilayer form. Reusability measurements showed that Gemini -modified ATP has better long-term stability in phenol adsorption applications. These results indicate that Gemini modified ATP is not only a good adsorbent for phenol, but also has good regeneration performance. As a good adsorption material with high performance and green pollution-free, we have reason to believe that the ATP modified by the new aromatic surfactant has a good development prospect in the future tobacco industry sewage treatment.