Removal of Cu(II) from aqueous solutions imparted by a pectin-based film: Cytocompatibility, antimicrobial, kinetic, and equilibrium studies.

To obtain pectin-based films is challenging due to the aqueous instability of polyelectrolyte mixtures. We overcome this issue by blending chitosan to pectin of high O-methoxylation degree (56%), followed by solvent evaporation. A durable film containing 74 wt% pectin content was produced and used as an adsorbent material toward Cu(II) ions. Kinetic and adsorption equilibrium studies showed that the pseudo-second-order and Sips isotherm models adjusted well to the experimental data, respectively. Langmuir isotherm indicated a maximum adsorption capacity (q _m ) for Cu(II) removal of 29.20 mg g ^-1 . Differential scanning calorimetry, contact angle measurements, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy confirm the adsorption. The chemisorption plays an essential role in the process; thereby, the film reusability is low. After adsorption, the cytocompatible film/Cu(II) pair prevents the proliferation of Escherichia coli.
Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper.
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