Two-dimensional MAX-derived titanate nanostructures for efficient removal of Pb(ii)

Abstract

Two-dimensional (2D) nanomaterials have been identified as one of the promising materials due to their great promise for waste treatment. Currently, the investigation of wastewater remediation is highly imperative and still remains challenging. Here, a novel class of 2D MAX@titanate nanocomposites was fabricated by a simple oxidation and alkalization method, and they exhibited different morphologies and impressive elimination performance. The Pb(II) uptake processes were dramatically affected by the solution pH and reached equilibrium quickly. Abundant functional groups and enhanced specific surface areas endowed T-NTO nanofibers with outstanding adsorption capacity of 328.9 mg g⁻¹ at pH = 5.0 and T = 298 K, which was much higher than that of T-KTO nanoribbons. Moreover, the possible mechanism was expounded with the aid of Raman, FT-IR, XRD and XPS analyses, in which the synergistic effect of surface complexation and ion exchange significantly contributed to the adsorption performance. On the basis of above analyses, this study not only presents a novel and facile strategy for preparing T-NTO and T-KTO nanostructures with superior adsorption capacity, but also broadens the prospective applications of other functional MAX-derived nanostructures in environmental cleanup.