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The montmorillonite (MMT) slurry is modified by cation exchange to create modified montmorillonite with a two-dimensional network structure. The addition of chitosan (CS) cross-links the two-dimensional sheets to build a three-dimensional network structure with a high specific surface area. The modified montmorillonite-based aerogel prepared in this work is a better water treatment material. This new type of aerogel can efficiently adsorb copper ions in wastewater. The structure and performance of the composite material were characterized in this article. Besides, this article focuses on the study of adsorption kinetics, adsorption thermodynamics, pH effect, and recycling performance. The adsorption equilibrium time of CS–MMT2 was 50 min. The removal rate of Cu2+ was as high as 98.21%. The maximum adsorption capacity was 86.95 mg/g. The adsorption process of Cu2+ by CS–MMT composite aerogel conformed to the quasi-second-order kinetic model and the Langrangian adsorption isotherm. After 7 cycles, the removal rate of Cu2+ by CS–MMT2 remained above 85%. This article also involves the discussion of the material's adsorption mechanism for Cu2+. This is a kind of environmentally friendly material that can be mass-produced, cheap, efficient, and excellent, which is of great significance to the development of environmental protection.

The modified montmorillonite(MMT) has a two-dimensional stable and ordered lamellar structure. The addition of chitosan(CS) cross-links the two-dimensional sheets to build a three-dimensional network structure with a high specific surface area. We have prepared the best MMT-based water treatment materials that have been reported. This new type of aerogel can efficiently adsorb heavy metal ions in wastewater. The structure and performance of the composite material were characterized in this article. Besides, the adsorption kinetics, adsorption thermodynamics, pH influence, and recycling performance are all focused on. The adsorption equilibrium time of CS-MMT2 is 50 min. The removal rate of Cu2+ is as high as 98.21%. The maximum adsorption capacity is 86.95 mg/g. The adsorption process of Cu2+ by CS-MMT composite aerogel conforms to the quasi-second-order kinetic model and the Langrangian adsorption isotherm. After three cycles, the removal rate of Cu2+ by CS-MMT2 remained above 80%. This article also involves the discussion of the material's adsorption mechanism for Cu2+. This is a kind of environmentally friendly material that can be mass-produced, cheap, efficient, and excellent, which is of great significance to the development of environmental protection.

The development of mechanical enhancement and sustainable absorbents for oil and chemical spills cleaning has attracted wide interest. In this work, novel and low-cost hydrophobic, cellulose/attapulgite (ATP) composite aerogels were prepared by freeze-drying and chemical vapor deposition. The composite aerogels were characterized by using X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared (FTIR), X-ray photoelectron (XPS), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Brunaur-Emmett-Teller (BET), and mercury intrusion porosimetry. The formation of Si-O-Si and C-H bonds observed according to FTIR and XPS indicated that the methyl groups from methyltrimethoxysilane (MTMS) had been grafted on the composite aerogels. The as-prepared composite aerogels showed high hydrophobicity with water contact angle up to 161.1 °. Moreover, the composite aerogels had three-dimensional pore structures and good thermal stability. Compared to the pure microcrystalline cellulose (MCC) aerogel, the maximum compressive strength of composite aerogel with hydroxyethyl cellulose (HEC) and ATP build blocks was able to reach 1.43 MPa. Therefore, this work provided a low-cost method to prepare robust and sustainable MCC/HEC/ATP composite cellulose aerogels, which could be ideal absorbents for oil adsorption.