Ultra-high capacity and anti-interference for Cr(VI) removal by tannin-polyvinylimine modified graphite carbon nitride

To combat the increasingly serious water pollution caused by heavy metal ions, the development of efficient adsorbents is of great significance. In this study, a novel composite adsorbent for Cr(VI) removal was smartly designed using environmentally friendly materials such as tannic acid (TA) and polyethyleneimine (PEI) for surface modification of g-C3N4 nanosheets through covalent assembly of polyphenols and amines. The obtained (PEI-TA)-g-C3N4 composite was capable of efficiently and quickly adsorbing Cr(VI) in water, with a maximum adsorption capacity of 769.23 mg/g at 308 K (35 °C), which was much higher than most reported Cr(VI) adsorbents. Notably, (PEI-TA)-g-C3N4 could reduce highly toxic Cr(VI) to low toxic Cr(III) and effectively adsorb it. The Cr(VI) adsorption process was a spontaneous thermal adsorption process that conformed to the pseudo-second-order kinetic model and Langmuir isotherm model. In addition, the excellent photothermal performance of (PEI-TA)-g-C3N4 further accelerated the adsorption of Cr(VI). Moreover, the strong anti-interference ability of (PEI-TA)-g-C3N4 composite against anions and other metal ions enabled it to effectively remove Cr(VI) in complex environments, expanding its practical application scenarios. The polymer coatings rich in phenolic hydroxyl- and amine-rich formed on the large surface area of g-C3N4 and the protonation of the amino groups are the keys for (PEI-TA)-g-C3N4 composite to have ultra-high adsorption performance and strong anti-interference ability towards Cr(VI). The designed strategy of this metal-free and environmentally friendly composite with ultra-high removal of Cr(VI) capability from wastewater provides new ideas for developing green, inexpensive, and efficient adsorbents.