Efficient Phosphate Removal by La/Fe3O4-MB: Adsorption Performance, Environmental Adaptability, and Mechanistic Insights from Structural and Electrochemical Characterization
摘要
Traditional lanthanum-modified bentonite (La-MB) faces issues such as slow sedimentation, poor pH adaptability, and weak interference resistance when treating eutrophic water. In this study, lanthanum-modified bentonite loaded with nano Fe3O4 (La/Fe3O4-MB) was synthesized using co-precipitation and impregnation methods. The study systematically investigates its phosphate adsorption performance, kinetic and thermodynamic characteristics, and electrochemical mechanisms. The results show that La/Fe3O4-MB has a significantly higher phosphate removal rate than La-MB in the pH range of 4–10, maintaining efficient adsorption even under high concentrations of anions, cations, humic acid, and organic carbon interference. The particle size increased by onefold compared to La-MB, and the static sedimentation rate improved eightfold. Using 1 mol/L NaCl as the desorption agent, the removal rate remained above 85% after four cycles. The adsorption kinetics fit the pseudo-second-order model, with chemical adsorption as the main mechanism. The isothermal adsorption data follow the Langmuir model, with a maximum adsorption capacity of 18.74 mg/g. Thermodynamic analysis indicates that the adsorption is a spontaneous endothermic process. Electrochemical analysis shows that the energy gap (Eg) of the material narrows after adsorption, forming a LaPO4 hybrid structure. XRD, FT-IR, and XPS characterization confirm that the primary adsorption mechanism is the formation of inner-sphere complexes (La–O–P) via ligand exchange, followed by electrostatic attraction and precipitation. This study provides new insights into the design of efficient phosphorus removal materials.