Dendrimer-modified carbon nanotubes for the removal and recovery of heavy metal ions from water

Thao Quynh Ngan Tran; Huu Trung Nguyen; Subodh Kumar; Xuan Thang Cao

doi:10.3762/bjnano.16.107

Dendrimer-modified carbon nanotubes for the removal and recovery of heavy metal ions from water

Thao Quynh Ngan Tran
, Huu Trung Nguyen
, Subodh Kumar
, Xuan Thang Cao

Industrial University of Ho Chi Minh City
Palacký University Olomouc

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

1 Scopus citations

Abstract

Effective removal of trace heavy metal ions from aqueous bodies is a pressing problem and requires significant improvement in the area of absorbent material in terms of removal efficiency and sustainability. We propose an efficient strategy to enhance the adsorption efficiency of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) by growing dendrimers on their surface. First, CNTs were pre-functionalized with maleic acid (MA) via Diels–Alder reaction in presence of a deep eutectic solvent under ultrasonication. Subsequently, dendrimers of varying length were grown by the repeated reaction of ethylene diamine and MA. Raman spectroscopy was specifically used to confirm the Diels–Alder reaction on the surface of CNTs, and other characterization techniques (SEM, EDX, XRD, TGA, and FTIR) were applied to confirm the successive growth of the dendrimers. Highly dendrimerized CNTs were found to be more effective in removing heavy metal ions (Pb²⁺ and Cd²⁺) from aqueous solutions with enhanced recyclability than less dendrimerized CNTs. Kinetic studies have revealed that the adsorption process followed a pseudo-second order kinetic model, and the rate-limiting step was mainly chemisorption. This study has not only excluded the involvement of harmful chemicals to pre-functionalize the CNTs with high loading but also provided an effective way to enhance the adsorption of heavy metal ions.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	1522-1532
Number of pages	11
Journal	Beilstein Journal of Nanotechnology
Volume	16
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.3762/bjnano.16.107
State	Published - 2025
Externally published	Yes

Bibliographical note

Publisher Copyright:
© 2025 Tran et al.; licensee Beilstein-Institut. This is an open access article licensed under the terms of the Beilstein-Institut Open Access License Agreement (https://www.beilstein-journals.org/bjnano/terms), which is identical to the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0). The reuse of material under this license requires that the author(s), source and license are credited. Third-party material in this article could be subject to other licenses (typically indicated in the credit line), and in this case, users are required to obtain permission from the license holder to reuse the material.

Keywords

Diels–Alder reaction
carbon nanotubes
deep eutectic solvent
dendrimers
heavy metal ion adsorption

Access to Document

10.3762/bjnano.16.107

Cite this

@article{41025526863c4015b368662fe90c127c,

title = "Dendrimer-modified carbon nanotubes for the removal and recovery of heavy metal ions from water",

abstract = "Effective removal of trace heavy metal ions from aqueous bodies is a pressing problem and requires significant improvement in the area of absorbent material in terms of removal efficiency and sustainability. We propose an efficient strategy to enhance the adsorption efficiency of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) by growing dendrimers on their surface. First, CNTs were pre-functionalized with maleic acid (MA) via Diels–Alder reaction in presence of a deep eutectic solvent under ultrasonication. Subsequently, dendrimers of varying length were grown by the repeated reaction of ethylene diamine and MA. Raman spectroscopy was specifically used to confirm the Diels–Alder reaction on the surface of CNTs, and other characterization techniques (SEM, EDX, XRD, TGA, and FTIR) were applied to confirm the successive growth of the dendrimers. Highly dendrimerized CNTs were found to be more effective in removing heavy metal ions (Pb2+ and Cd2+) from aqueous solutions with enhanced recyclability than less dendrimerized CNTs. Kinetic studies have revealed that the adsorption process followed a pseudo-second order kinetic model, and the rate-limiting step was mainly chemisorption. This study has not only excluded the involvement of harmful chemicals to pre-functionalize the CNTs with high loading but also provided an effective way to enhance the adsorption of heavy metal ions.",

keywords = "Diels–Alder reaction, carbon nanotubes, deep eutectic solvent, dendrimers, heavy metal ion adsorption",

author = "Tran, \{Thao Quynh Ngan\} and Nguyen, \{Huu Trung\} and Subodh Kumar and Cao, \{Xuan Thang\}",

note = "Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} 2025 Tran et al.; licensee Beilstein-Institut. This is an open access article licensed under the terms of the Beilstein-Institut Open Access License Agreement (https://www.beilstein-journals.org/bjnano/terms), which is identical to the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0). The reuse of material under this license requires that the author(s), source and license are credited. Third-party material in this article could be subject to other licenses (typically indicated in the credit line), and in this case, users are required to obtain permission from the license holder to reuse the material.",

year = "2025",

doi = "10.3762/bjnano.16.107",

language = "אנגלית",

volume = "16",

pages = "1522--1532",

journal = "Beilstein Journal of Nanotechnology",

issn = "2190-4286",

publisher = "Beilstein-Institut Zur Forderung der Chemischen Wissenschaften",

}

TY - JOUR

T1 - Dendrimer-modified carbon nanotubes for the removal and recovery of heavy metal ions from water

AU - Tran, Thao Quynh Ngan

AU - Nguyen, Huu Trung

AU - Kumar, Subodh

AU - Cao, Xuan Thang

N1 - Publisher Copyright: © 2025 Tran et al.; licensee Beilstein-Institut. This is an open access article licensed under the terms of the Beilstein-Institut Open Access License Agreement (https://www.beilstein-journals.org/bjnano/terms), which is identical to the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0). The reuse of material under this license requires that the author(s), source and license are credited. Third-party material in this article could be subject to other licenses (typically indicated in the credit line), and in this case, users are required to obtain permission from the license holder to reuse the material.

PY - 2025

Y1 - 2025

N2 - Effective removal of trace heavy metal ions from aqueous bodies is a pressing problem and requires significant improvement in the area of absorbent material in terms of removal efficiency and sustainability. We propose an efficient strategy to enhance the adsorption efficiency of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) by growing dendrimers on their surface. First, CNTs were pre-functionalized with maleic acid (MA) via Diels–Alder reaction in presence of a deep eutectic solvent under ultrasonication. Subsequently, dendrimers of varying length were grown by the repeated reaction of ethylene diamine and MA. Raman spectroscopy was specifically used to confirm the Diels–Alder reaction on the surface of CNTs, and other characterization techniques (SEM, EDX, XRD, TGA, and FTIR) were applied to confirm the successive growth of the dendrimers. Highly dendrimerized CNTs were found to be more effective in removing heavy metal ions (Pb2+ and Cd2+) from aqueous solutions with enhanced recyclability than less dendrimerized CNTs. Kinetic studies have revealed that the adsorption process followed a pseudo-second order kinetic model, and the rate-limiting step was mainly chemisorption. This study has not only excluded the involvement of harmful chemicals to pre-functionalize the CNTs with high loading but also provided an effective way to enhance the adsorption of heavy metal ions.

AB - Effective removal of trace heavy metal ions from aqueous bodies is a pressing problem and requires significant improvement in the area of absorbent material in terms of removal efficiency and sustainability. We propose an efficient strategy to enhance the adsorption efficiency of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) by growing dendrimers on their surface. First, CNTs were pre-functionalized with maleic acid (MA) via Diels–Alder reaction in presence of a deep eutectic solvent under ultrasonication. Subsequently, dendrimers of varying length were grown by the repeated reaction of ethylene diamine and MA. Raman spectroscopy was specifically used to confirm the Diels–Alder reaction on the surface of CNTs, and other characterization techniques (SEM, EDX, XRD, TGA, and FTIR) were applied to confirm the successive growth of the dendrimers. Highly dendrimerized CNTs were found to be more effective in removing heavy metal ions (Pb2+ and Cd2+) from aqueous solutions with enhanced recyclability than less dendrimerized CNTs. Kinetic studies have revealed that the adsorption process followed a pseudo-second order kinetic model, and the rate-limiting step was mainly chemisorption. This study has not only excluded the involvement of harmful chemicals to pre-functionalize the CNTs with high loading but also provided an effective way to enhance the adsorption of heavy metal ions.

KW - Diels–Alder reaction

KW - carbon nanotubes

KW - deep eutectic solvent

KW - dendrimers

KW - heavy metal ion adsorption

UR - https://www.scopus.com/pages/publications/105027742632

U2 - 10.3762/bjnano.16.107

DO - 10.3762/bjnano.16.107

M3 - ???researchoutput.researchoutputtypes.contributiontojournal.article???

C2 - 40927494

AN - SCOPUS:105027742632

SN - 2190-4286

VL - 16

SP - 1522

EP - 1532

JO - Beilstein Journal of Nanotechnology

JF - Beilstein Journal of Nanotechnology

ER -

Dendrimer-modified carbon nanotubes for the removal and recovery of heavy metal ions from water

Abstract

Bibliographical note

Keywords

Access to Document

Other files and links

Fingerprint

Cite this