Biopolymeric aerogels as ionic contaminant adsorbents

Abstract

Aerogels based on chitosan were obtained through the freeze-drying from crosslinked of hydrogels cross-linked with glutaraldehyde. These materials were characterized by measuring their density, porosity, swelling degree, and stability in aqueous medium, properties that were found to be composition-dependent. To test their behavior as adsorbents, experiments were conducted using the anionic dye Congo Red. The experimental data for adsorption kinetics were fitted using the pseudo-second-order (PSO) model, while equilibrium data were modeled using the Freundlich and Sips isotherms, depending on the material's composition, indicating heterogeneity on its surface.