Simultaneous oxidation and sorption of highly toxic Sb(III) using a dual-functional electroactive filter

One of the topics gaining lots of recent attention is the antimony (Sb) pollution. We have designed a dual-functional electroactive filter consisting of one-dimensional (1-D) titanate nanowires and carbon nanotubes for simultaneous oxidation and sorption of Sb(III). Applying an external limited DC voltage assist the in-situ conversion of highly toxic Sb(III) to less toxic Sb(V). The Sb(III) removal kinetics and efficiency were enhanced with flow rate and applied voltage (e.g., the Sb(III) removal efficiency increased from 87.5% at 0 V to 96.2% at 2 V). This enhancement in kinetics and efficiency are originated from the flow-through design, more exposed sorption sites, electrochemical reactivity, and limited pore size on the filter. The titanate-CNT hybrid filters perform effectively across a wide pH range of 3–11. Only negligible inhibition was observed in the presence of nitrate, chloride, and carbonate at varying concentrations. Our analyses using STEM, XPS, or AFS demonstrate that Sb were mainly adsorbed by Ti. DFT calculations suggest that the Sb(III) oxidation kinetics can be accelerated by the applied electric field. Exhausted titanate-CNT filters can be effectively regenerated by using NaOH solution. Moreover, the Sb(III)-spiked tap water generated ∼2400 bed volumes with a >90% removal efficiency. This study provides new insights for rational design of continuous-flow filters for the decontamination of Sb and other similar heavy metal ions.