Synthesis and characterizations of magnetic bio-material sporopollenin for the removal of oil from aqueous environment

Abstract There is an increasing global need for a simple and effective method to remove oil from water. This study details the synthesis of magnetic bio-polymer sporopollenin (MSp) and explores its use as an adsorbent for oil removal from water. The MSp was characterized using FT-IR, SEM, EDX, BET, VSM, TGA and water contact angle (WCA) measurements. The oil adsorption experiments were carried out in batch mode. The influence of adsorbent dosage, contact time and pH on oil adsorption efficiency was studied and then optimized for analysis. The optimized MSp was found to be an effective oil adsorbent, with a sorption capacity of 3.24 mg/mg. The effectiveness of MSp as an oil adsorbent is attributed to its hydrophobic surface that can be selectively adsorb oil while repelling water. The MSp is also reusable and able to maintain its sorption capacity even after five usage-regeneration cycles.