Sorption of Phenol, p-Nitrophenol, and Aniline to Dual-Cation Organobentonites from Water

A series of dual-cation organobentonites are synthesized by replacing the metal ions in bentonite with both long-chain alkyl quaternary ammonium cations, such as dodecyltrimethylammonium (DTMA), benzyldimethyltetradecylammonium (BDTDA), cetyltrimethylammonium (CTMA), octodecyltrimethylammonium (OTMA), and short-chain alkyl quaternary ammonium cations, such as tetramethylammonium (TMA). The influential factors, mechanisms and characteristics of polar and ionizable organic contaminants, such as p -nitrophenol, phenol, and aniline, and sorption to dual-cation organobentonites from water are investigated systematically and described quantitatively. The sorption properties are affected by treatment conditions, such as pH, amount of organobentonite, and shaking time; structure of organobentonites, such as interlayer spacings and organic carbon contents; and the properties of organic compounds, such as solubility and octanol−water coefficient partition. Sorption isotherms of p -nitrophenol, phenol, and aniline are typically nonlinear. Both adsorption and partition contribute to the sorption of organic compounds to dual-cation organobentonites. The separate contributions of adsorption and partition to the total sorption of organic compounds to dual-cation organobentonites are analyzed mathematically, e.g., Q A = a ln C e + b − K oc · f oc · C e, Q P = K oc · f oc · C e . Results indicate that the partition effect is weak and linear to contaminant concentration, whereas adsorption effect is more powerful and nonlinear to contaminant concentration. The sorption of organic compounds to dual-cation organobentonite is dominated by adsorption at low concentrations and by partition at high concentrations, making the organobentonites powerful sorbents for organic contaminants over a wide range of concentrations.