Mechanism and kinetics of Pb(II) adsorption on ultrathin nanocrystalline titania coatings.

Pb(II) is a highly toxic substance, exposure to which can cause various diseases. To better understand the application of titania as an adsorbent for removing Pb(II) from wastewater, quartz crystal microbalance (QCM) technique was employed to investigate the adsorption behavior of Pb(II) on ultrathin nanocrystalline titania coatings. The present study focused on the mechanism and kinetics of Pb(II) adsorption. The obtained results show that the driving force of Pb(II) adsorption on titania coatings is electrostatic interaction, and that Pb(II) is adsorbed onto titania coatings by Pb(II) ions coordinating with hydroxyl groups of titania surface. In terms of the in situ frequency measurements of QCM, the adsorption kinetic parameter is estimated to be 4.12x10(5)L/mol. QCM measurement provides a useful method for monitoring the adsorption process of Pb(II) on titania coatings.