Porous Hierarchically Micro-/Nanostructured MgO: Morphology Control and Their Excellent Performance in As(III) and As(V) Removal

Porous micro-/nanostructured MgO were successfully synthesized through a facile method. Flower-like and nest-like micro-/nanostructured MgO were obtained by adjusting the concentration of precipitant. When tested as adsorbent in arsenic removal, the as-prepared micro-/nanostructured MgO were effective for both As(III) and As(V) removal, particularly the As(III). The adsorption capacities of these micro-/nanostructured MgO for As(III)/As(V) are much higher than those reported for other micro-/nanostructured metal oxides. The adsorption kinetics and adsorption mechanism for As(III) and As(V) onto micro-/nanostructured MgO were also investigated. The high uptake capability of the as-prepared micro-/nanostructured MgO make it a potentially attractive adsorbent for the removal of both As(III) and As(V) from water.