Electrospun Cellulose Acetate/Polyethylenimine Porous Fibers toward Highly Efficient Removal of Cr(VI)

The development of an efficient, economical, and environmentally friendly monolithic adsorbent for the removal of toxic hexavalent chromium Cr(VI) has invariably been a topic of great concern to researchers. In this paper, cellulose acetate (CA) and polyethylenimine (PEI) homogeneously blending porous fiber membranes with high porosity were successfully prepared by electrospinning, and PEI was further immobilized by cross-linking to form a stable biological adsorbent. The adsorption behavior and eliminating mechanism toward Cr(VI) by the CA-c-PEI fibrous membranes were comprehensively explored. The maximum adsorption capacity was up to 285.7 mg/g (25 °C), higher than most of the biomass-based adsorbents. Specifically, the concentration of Cr(VI) could be dramatically reduced from the initial 50 mg/L to 0.03 mg/L, much lower than the concentration standard for drinking water recommended by the World Health Organization. Even after being reused several times, the fibrous membrane still exhibited high removal efficiency.