BERGAMOT PASTAZZO AS SUSTAINABLE PLATFORM FOR Cd2+ REMOVAL FROM AQUEOUS SOLUTION

In the last years, citrus waste was employed as suitable platform for the development of multifunctional nanomaterials (MNMs), able to efficiently and selectively interact with organic (pesticides, dyes, drugs, POPs) and inorganic (metals, anions) contaminants, my means of sorption mechanisms [1, 2]. This contribution reports preliminary results on new biobased materials for Cd2+ sequestration from multicomponent solutions simulating the conditions of natural fluids. The bergamot pastazzo was mechanically ground and divided in two fractions. A first aliquot (P1) was dried at t = 60°C for 72 hours and pre-treated with various chemicals (e.g. NaOH, HNO3, H2O2, H2O, 2-propanol) to check for a possible enhancement of the pastazzo metal sorption capacity [3-5]. A second feedstock fraction (P2) was lyophilized, carbonized in an autoclave at t = 180°C for 6 hours and purified in dialysis bags, to obtain carbon quantum dots (CQDs) [6]. P1 and P2 were characterized by FT-IR ATR spectroscopy to assess surface functional groups. Potentiometric studies were also performed at t = 25°C, I = 0.10 mol L-1 in NaNO3(aq) to investigate their acid-base properties and binding ability towards Cd2+. Moreover, sorption capacity was investigated by means of kinetic and batch experiments, in which Cd2+ concentration in solution was determined by DP-ASV and experimental data were analysed by various isotherm models [7]. [1] N. Mahato, K. Sharma, M. Sinha E. R. Baral, R. Koteswararao, A. Dhyani, M. H. Cho, S, Cho, J. Adv. Res. 23 (2020) 61–82. [2] T. Chatzimitakos, A. Kasouni, L. Sygellou, A. Avgeropoulos, A. Troganis, C. Stalikas, Talanta 175 (2017) 305–312. [3] U. Suryavanshi, S.R. Shukla, Ind. Eng. Chem. Res. 49 (2010), 11682–11688. [4] S. Schiewer, S.B. Patil, Bioresour. Technol. 99 (2008) 1896–1903. [5] M. Russo, A. Arigò, M.L. Calabrò, S. Farnetti, L. Mondello, P. Dugo, J. Funct. Foods, 20 (2016) 10–19. [6] Z. Wang, Y. Xie, Z. Lei, Y. Lu, G. Wei, S. Liu, C. Xu, Z. Zhang, X. Wang, L. Rao, J. Chen, Anal. Chem. 91 (2019) 15, 9690-9697. [7] S. Schiewer, S. B. Pati, J. Hazard. Mat. 157 (2008) 8–17