Superb adsorption capacity and mechanism of flowerlike magnesium oxide nanostructures for lead and cadmium ions.

A facile method based on microwave-assisted solvothermal process has been developed to synthesize flowerlike MgO precursors, which were then transformed to MgO by simple calcinations. All the chemicals used (magnesium nitrate, urea, and ethanol) were low cost and environmentally benign. The products were characterized by X-ray powder diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, high-resolution TEM, and N(2) adsorption-desorption methods. These flowerlike MgO nanostructures had high surface area and showed superb adsorption properties for Pb(II) and Cd(II), with maximum capacities of 1980 mg/g and 1500 mg/g, respectively. All these values are significantly higher than those reported on other nanomaterials. A new adsorption mechanism involving solid-liquid interfacial cation exchange between magnesium and lead or cadmium cations was proposed and confirmed.