Amidoximated Bacterial Cellulose Film for Pb2+ Adsorption in Aqueous Environment

This study investigated the application of amidoximated bacterial cellulose (AMO-BC) film for lead (Pb) adsorption from aqueous solutions. In our previous study, bacterial cellulose has been successfully modified through amidoximation to enhance its metal adsorption capacity. In order to modify the bacterial cellulose (BC) film, acrylonitrile was grafted onto it initiated by an electron beam to create BC-grafted-polyacrylonitrile (BC-g-PAN). After that, amidoximated bacterial cellulose (AMO-BC) was generated when BC-g-PAN reacted with hydroxylamine hydrochloride to add amidoxime functional groups to the cellulose backbone. Then, AMO-BC before and after lead adsorption was characterized using Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). The adsorption capacity of AMO-BC for lead ions was evaluated through batch adsorption experiments with the initial lead concentration of 200 mgL−1 and an adsorbent dose of 20 mg, on pH 6 for two hours of the adsorption process. The results showed that AMO-BC exhibited higher lead adsorption capacity than pristine bacterial cellulose i.e., 44.56 and 50.96 mg/gram for BC and AMO-BC films, respectively.