DFT investigation of Ni(II) adsorption onto MA-DTPA/PVDF chelating membrane in the presence of coexistent cations and organic acids.

Melamine-diethylenetriaminepentaacetic acid/polyvinylidene fluoride (MA-DTPA/PVDF) chelating membrane bearing polyaminecarboxylate groups was used to remove Ni(II) from nickel plating effluents. Adsorption experiments were conducted to study the adsorption of the membrane towards Ni(II) in Ni(II)-Ca(II), Ni(II)-NH(4)(+), Ni(II)-Fe(III) binary systems, and Ni(II)-lactic acid, Ni(II)-succinic acid and Ni(II)-citric acid complex systems. For the ternary nickel plating processes, the effects of 3d transition metals including Fe(II), Co(II), Cu(II) and Zn(II) on Ni(II) adsorption were evaluated. The influences of the aforementioned coexistent cations and organic acids were elucidated by the continuum solvation model (COSMO)-corrected density functional theory (DFT) method. Geometries and complexation energies were analyzed for metal-MA-DTPA and Ni(II)-organic acid complexes. DFT results accord with the experimental data, indicating that DFT is helpful to evaluate the complexation between the membrane and metal cations. The coexistent Ca(II) tends to form more stable complex with MA-DTPA ligand than NH(4)(+) and Fe(III), and can interfere with the formation of Ni(II)-MA-DTPA complex. The complexing sequence of 3d metals with MA-DTPA ligand is Zn(II)<Co(II)<Ni(II)<Fe(II)<Cu(II). Therefore, both Fe(II) and Cu(II) have the considerable competition with Ni(II). The stabilities of Ni(II)-organic acid complexes follow the order of lactic acid<succinic acid<citric acid, but cannot be comparable to that of Ni(II)-MA-DTPA complex.