An MXene-Grafted Terpolymer Hydrogel for Adsorptive Immobilization of Toxic Pb(II) and Post-Adsorption Application of Metal Ion Hydrogel.

Toxic metal ions present in industrial waste, such as Pb(II), introduce deleterious effects on the environment. Though the adsorptive removal of Pb(II) is widely reported, there is a dearth of research on the suitable utilization and disposal of the Pb(II)-adsorbed adsorbent. In this work, an MXene-grafted terpolymer () hydrogel has been designed for the adsorption of Pb(II) under ambient conditions of pH and temperature. The hydrogel was synthesized by facile one-pot polymerization in aqueous solvent, and the detailed structural characterization of terpolymer (), , and Pb(II)-loaded , i.e., Pb(II)-, was carried out by a combination of proton nuclear magnetic resonance (H NMR), Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), X-ray diffractometric (XRD), thermogravimetric/differential thermogravimetric (TG/ DTG), and field emission scanning electron microscopic (FESEM) analyses. The specific capacitance and conductivities of Pb(II)- were studied with cyclic voltammetry (CV) and electrical impedance spectroscopy (EIS), which unambiguously indicate successful post-adsorption application. The specific capacitance of decreased after Pb(II) adsorption, whereas the conductivity increased significantly after Pb(II) adsorption, showing that can be successfully deployed as a solid electrolyte/anode after Pb(II) adsorption. This study covers the synthesis of a novel MXene-grafted terpolymer hydrogel for adsorptive exclusion of Pb(II) and assessment of the as-adsorbed Pb(II)-loaded hydrogel as a solid electrolyte/anode material and is the first demonstration of such post-adsorptive application.