Chitosan-based hydrogel for dye removal from aqueous solutions: Optimization of the preparation procedure

The efficacy of chitosan-based hydrogels in the removal of dyes from aqueous solutions has been investigated as a function of different parameters. Hydrogels were obtained by gelation of chitosan with a non-toxic gelling agent based on an aqueous basic solution. The preparation procedure has been optimized in terms of chitosan concentration in the starting solution, gelling agent concentration and chitosan-to-gelling agent ratio. The goal is to properly select the material- and process-related parameters in order to optimize the performances of the chitosan-based dye adsorbent. First, the influence of such factors on the gelling process has been studied from a kinetic point of view. Then, the effects on the adsorption capacity and kinetics of the chitosan hydrogels obtained in different conditions have been investigated. A common food dye (Indigo Carmine) has been used for this purpose. Noticeably, although the disk-shaped hydrogels are in the bulk form, their adsorption capacity is comparable to that reported in the literature for films and beads. In addition, the bulk samples can be easily separated from the liquid phase after the adsorption process, which is highly attractive from a practical point of view. Compression tests reveal that the samples do not breakup even after relatively large compressive strains. The obtained results suggest that the fine tuning of the process parameters allows the production of mechanical resistant and highly adsorbing chitosan-based hydrogels.