Polyethylenimine‐modified sugarcane bagasse cellulose as an effective adsorbent for removing Cu(II) from aqueous solution

Abstract Polyethylenimine‐modified sugarcane bagasse cellulose (SBCMP), as a new adsorbent, was synthesized by the reaction of polyethylenimine (PEI) with sugarcane bagasse cellulose and glutaraldehyde. The adsorption of Cu(II) by SBCMP was pH‐dependent, and the higher removal efficiency of Cu(II) appeared in the range of pH 3.0–6.0. The adsorption isothermal data fitted well with the Langmuir model, and the maximum adsorption capacity of SBCMP was up to 107.5 mg/g. The adsorption kinetics was best described by the pseudo‐second‐order kinetic. The adsorption of Cu(II) by SBCMP was unfavorable at high temperatures, and thermodynamic analyses implied that the adsorption of Cu(II) by SBCMP was an exothermic reaction. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT‐IR) combined with X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) revealed that Cu(II) adsorption on SBCMP mainly controlled by the nitrogen atoms of NH group in PEI. The results of regeneration cycles showed that SBCMP was suitable for reuse in the adsorption of Cu(II) from aqueous solution. These experimental results suggested that SBCMP is expected to be a new biomass adsorbent with high efficiency in removing Cu(II) from wastewater.