A Green Method to Fabricate Polyethyleneimine-Alginate Multilayer Coatings Modified Polyurethane Foam for Cu²⁺ Adsorption from Aqueous Solution

ABSTRACT

In this study, flexible polyurethane foam (FPUF) was modified with bio-based coatings composed of polyethylenimine (PEI) and alginate (ALG), fabricated by layer-by-layer (LbL) self-assembly. LbL self-assembled coatings modified FPUFs were studied for their potentials for removing Cu²⁺ ions from aqueous solutions by using batch adsorption technique, as a function of assembled bilayers number, pH value, carrier amount and adsorption time. The maximum adsorption capacity of the modified FPUF was shown to be 54 mg/g for Cu²⁺. Results suggested that the LbL self-assembly could potentially be a promising cost-effective technique for fabricating advanced adsorbent materials for removing pollutants from wastewater.

GRAPHICAL ABSTRACT

KEYWORDS:

• Adsorption
• Cu²⁺
• layer-by-layer self-assembly
• polyurethane foam

Acknowledgments

The authors wish to thank the support from the National Natural Science Foundation of China (#41271249), and Innovative R&D Research Fund of Hangzhou Dianzi University (ZX140206318006).

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China [41271249];Innovative R&D Research Fund of Hangzhou Dianzi University [ZX140206318006].