Fabrication of methyl acrylate and tetraethylenepentamine grafted magnetic chitosan microparticles for capture of Cd(II) from aqueous solutions

[Display omitted] •Sorbent, MCS-MA-TEPA microparticles, was fabricated in the absence of crosslinkers.•MCS-MA-TEPA microparticles of 5.95 μm in size were of plum-pudding-like topography.•Adsorption capacity was 251.22 mg Cd(II) g−1, higher than the counterparts available.•MCS-MA-TEPA microparticles had outstanding reusability and convenient separability.•A potential adsorption mechanism was the chelation between O & N atoms and Cd(II). MCS-MA-TEPA microparticles, with 251.22 mg g−1 of adsorption capacity for Cd(II), higher than most of the counterparts, were first fabricated by chemical coprecipitation, spray drying, and Michael addition reaction, without any cross-linker participation. These Fe3O4-nanoparticle-embedded microparticles of 5.95 μm in size, derived from modifications by methyl acrylate (MA) and tetraethylenepentamine (TEPA) on magnetic chitosan (MCS) microparticles, were of plum-pudding-like and wrinkle-like topography portrayed by TEM and SEM. Such features were beneficial to adsorbent recycling and Cd(II) capture. BET examinations illustrated 6.084 m2 g−1 of specific surface area, 0.015 mL g−1 of pore volume, and 6.536 nm of pore diameter. FTIR, VSM, XRD, TEM-SAED, TG, and DTG characterizations were indicative of successful synthesis, satisfactory magnetism, well-defined architecture, and good thermostability. Optimal adsorption parameters for Cd(II) were determined via batch experiments. Thermodynamic parameters and adsorption data fitting implied an exothermic, spontaneous, monolayer, and chemisorption process. XPS analyses confirmed a potential adsorption mechanism that N and O atoms on microparticles chelated with Cd(II) ions in solutions. Additionally, MCS-MA-TEPA-Cd(II) microparticles were magnetically separated easily and had outstanding reusability even after five-time recycling, with a slight adsorption capability loss (< 12%). Altogether, MCS-MA-TEPA microparticles might serve as a promising adsorbent for contaminated water scavenging.