Preparation of ZnAlLa-LDHs by one-step hydrothermal method and its adsorption properties for phosphate

Abstract Phosphate is one of the main limiting factors of water eutrophication, and the effective removal of phosphate is essential to control the eutrophication of the aquatic environment and meet the increasingly stringent phosphate discharge regulations. This study successfully prepared ZnAlLa-LDHs materials using a simple hydrothermal method using triethanolamine as a soft template, which SEM, XRD, and FT-IR characterized. The results show that ZnAlLa-LDHs is a kind of two-dimensional porous structure material; the adsorption isotherm of ZnAlLa-LDHs on phosphate conforms to the Langmuir model, and the maximum adsorption capacity is 83.333 mg g −1 ; the adsorption kinetics conforms to the pseudo-second-order kinetic model, and the adsorption rate is mainly controlled by chemical adsorption; the adsorption mechanism of ZnAlLa-LDHs on phosphate is mainly ion exchange and electrostatic adsorption. ZnAlLa-LDHs have an excellent effect on phosphorus in wastewater from sewage treatment plants.