One-Pot Synthesis of Organically Intercalated Hectorite and Its Adsorption of Phenol from Wastewater

In this study, hectorite intercalated with octadecyl trimethylammonium ions was synthesized via one-pot synthesis, and the octadecyl trimethylammonium-modified hectorite was used as an adsorbent to remove phenol from an aqueous solution. The pH and content of the adsorbent were studied to determine the optimized conditions for the adsorption of phenol. The phenol removal rate attained for 50 mL of 100 mg/L initial phenol solution at pH 12 was about 92.3% when 0.5 g of adsorbent was used. As for the adsorption isotherm, the Langmuir and Freundlich models were appropriate. The adsorption kinetics were in accordance with the pseudo-second-order model, and the activation energy (Ea) was about 11.15 kJ/mol. The modified hectorite could be recycled and reused, maintaining a high adsorption amount after five cycles.