Sustainable adsorbents formed from by-product of acid activation of vermiculite and leached-vermiculite-LDH hybrids for removal of industrial dyes and metal cations

Abstract Hydrotalcite-like layered double hydroxide (LDH) materials were synthesized from liquid waste by-product produced during acid activation of vermiculite (raw (W) and expanded (Ve)), and by combining the waste with the activated mineral, novel hybrid vermiculite-hydrotalcite-like materials were obtained in one-pot synthesis. Batch system adsorption experiments were performed on fresh and calcined (at 450 °C) materials using two anionic dyes (Congo Red - CR, and Reactive Red 184 - R), a cationic dye (Astrazon Red - AR), and Cu2+. Calcination significantly increased the materials' adsorption capacities for all the pollutants. The highest adsorption capacities of the LDH derived from W were 289 ± 2, 137 ± 2, 38.2 ± 0.6 and 64 ± 2 mg g−1, while for the ones derived from Ve were 214 ± 2, 119.5 ± 0.3, 35.9 ± 0.7 and 66 ± 3 mg g−1 for CR, R, AR and Cu2+, respectively. The hybrids obtained from W attained removal levels of 238 ± 3, 111 ± 2, 44 ± 1 and 70 ± 1 mg g−1 and their counterparts derived from Ve reached 84 ± 1, 34.1 ± 0.5, 43 ± 2 and 75 ± 1 mg g−1 for CR, R, AR and Cu2+, respectively. Strong synergic effect on adsorption was observed in the hybrid materials, especially in these derived from Ve. These adsorbents had higher (up to 400%) adsorption capacities than theoretical ones prepared by mixing ex-situ appropriate amounts of activated vermiculite and LDH. All the materials were characterized by XRD, SEM-EDS, and ATR techniques. The proposed procedure is a sustainable approach to clay minerals valorization and my open new possibilities in fields such as wastewater treatment or catalysis.