Heavy metal removal from aqueous solution using a novel RF xerogel as an adsorbent

The removal of Hg(II), Pb(II), Cd(II) and Cu(II) ions was investigated by using a novel resorcinol formaldehyde xerogel as an adsorbent. The xerogel was synthesized by sol–gel method and modified with mercapto (-SH) functional groups during polycondensation reaction betweenresorcinol and formaldehyde. The adsorbent was characterized byFourier transform infrared spectra (FTIR) and scanning electron microscope (SEM). The adsorption of heavy metals on modified and unmodified xerogels was studied to finding the effect of chemical modification. It was found modified RF xerogel has much higher adsorption efficiencies than unmodified RF xerogel (specially for Hg(II) ion) due to the mercapto functional groups. The novel RF xerogel would be quite useful in developing an appropriate adsorbent for the removal of heavy metal ions from industrial wastewater.