Abstract
Graphitic carbon nitride nanosheets were synthesized onto cellulose nanofiber surfaces utilizing an eco-friendly salt melt approach. The fabricated material CNF@C(3)N(4) selectively removes Ni(II) and Cu(II) from electroplating wastewater samples. The immobilization of g-C(3)N(4) on solid substrates eases handling of nanomaterial in a flow-through approach and mitigates sorbent loss during column operations. Characterization techniques such as scanning electron microscopy, tunneling electron microscopy, and X-ray photoelectron microscopy were employed to analyze the surface morphology and chemical bonding within the synthesized material. Selective Cu(II) and Ni(II) sorption predominantly arises from the soft-soft interaction between metal ions and associated nitrogen groups. An inner-sphere surface complexation mechanism effectively elucidated the interaction dynamics between the metal and CNF@C(3)N(4). Experimental findings demonstrated satisfactory separation of Ni(II) and Cu(II) ions, with the extraction of 340.0 and 385.0 mg g(-1) of material, respectively. Additionally, the devised technique was executed for the preconcentration and quantification of trace metals ions in water samples with a detection limit and limit of quantification of 0.06 and 0.20 μg L(-1), respectively.