A pillararene-based supramolecular polymer hydrogel for removal of organic dyes from water

Abstract

Organic dyes in industrial wastewater are posing significant threats to global water resources and have raised concerns about negative impacts on human health. Hydrogels have attracted much attention among various absorbent materials due to their facile synthesis, high stability in water and large adsorption capacity. Herein, we have prepared a supramolecular polymer hydrogel adsorbent based on a water-soluble pillar[5]arene and poly(sodium 4-styrenesulfonate). Benefiting from pillararenes, the hydrogel adsorbent can remove a variety of organic dyes from water. In particular, this hydrogel exhibited excellent adsorption properties for Eriochrome black T (EBT) with a much higher adsorption rate than activated carbon. Importantly, the adsorption capacity is as high as 1818 mg g⁻¹. Furthermore, the hydrogel adsorbent showed excellent selectivity and recyclability when adsorbing organic dyes from water. These excellent results showed the great potential of the pillararene-based supramolecular hydrogel adsorbent in wastewater treatment.