Synthesis of iron-modified montmorillonite/Al2O3 composite adsorbents and their phosphorus adsorption performance study

Synthesis of iron-modified montmorillonite/Al2O3 composite adsorbents and their phosphorus adsorption performance study | Research Square window.SnipcartSettings = { analytics: { enabled: false } }; (function() { var accessVector = localStorage.getItem('access_vector') || ''; window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || []; if (accessVector) { window.dataLayer.push({ user: { profile: { profileInfo: { snid: accessVector } } } }); } })(); (function(w,d,s,l,i){w[l]=w[l]||[];w[l].push({'gtm.start':new Date().getTime(),event:'gtm.js'});var f=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0],j=d.createElement(s),dl=l!='dataLayer'?'&l='+l:'';j.async=true;j.src='https://www.googletagmanager.com/gtm.js?id='+i+dl;f.parentNode.insertBefore(j,f);})(window,document,'script','dataLayer','GTM-K279D39R'); Browse Preprints In Review Journals COVID-19 Preprints AJE Video Bytes Research Tools Research Promotion AJE Professional Editing AJE Rubriq About Preprint Platform In Review Editorial Policies Our Team Advisory Board Help Center Sign In Submit a Preprint Cite Share Download PDF Article Synthesis of iron-modified montmorillonite/Al2O3 composite adsorbents and their phosphorus adsorption performance study Kexin Xie, Jiacheng Xie, Zhenxiang Zhao, Xiangwei Meng, Bo Chen This is a preprint; it has not been peer reviewed by a journal. https://doi.org/ 10.21203/rs.3.rs-6447688/v1 This work is licensed under a CC BY 4.0 License Status: Published Journal Publication published 07 Oct, 2025 Read the published version in Scientific Reports → Version 1 posted 11 You are reading this latest preprint version Abstract The presence of excessive phosphate in aquatic systems can trigger eutrophication processes, causing detrimental impacts on ecological balance. This research developed an innovative phosphorus-adsorbing composite material through iron-modified montmorillonite integrated with Al 2 O 3 , synthesized via surface modification coupled with hydrothermal calcination (Fe/AlPMt), for aquatic phosphorus management. pH optimization experiments demonstrated Fe/AlPMt's effective phosphate removal capability across an extended acidic range (pH 3.0–6.0). The composite displayed superior phosphate selectivity compared to competing anions. Kinetic analysis revealed that the adsorption process conformed to a second-order reaction model, with particle internal diffusion identified as the dominant mechanism. Equilibrium studies indicated satisfactory alignment with both Freundlich and Tempkin isotherm models for phosphorus adsorption. Field testing in lake water achieved remarkable 99% phosphate elimination at a 0.3 g/L dosage. Adsorption mechanisms involved multiple pathways: electrostatic attraction, ligand substitution reactions, and precipitate formation on surfaces. The material maintained 95.8% adsorption efficiency after five regeneration cycles, demonstrating robust recyclability. These results position Fe/AlPMt as a viable solution for phosphorus-contaminated wastewater remediation. Physical sciences/Chemistry Physical sciences/Materials science Fe/AlPMt phosphorus adsorption hydrothermal calcination Full Text Additional Declarations No competing interests reported. Supplementary Files Supportinginformation.docx Cite Share Download PDF Status: Published Journal Publication published 07 Oct, 2025 Read the published version in Scientific Reports → Version 1 posted Editorial decision: Revision requested 13 May, 2025 Reviews received at journal 04 May, 2025 Reviews received at journal 03 May, 2025 Reviewers agreed at journal 28 Apr, 2025 Reviewers agreed at journal 25 Apr, 2025 Reviewers agreed at journal 23 Apr, 2025 Reviewers invited by journal 23 Apr, 2025 Editor assigned by journal 23 Apr, 2025 Editor invited by journal 23 Apr, 2025 Submission checks completed at journal 21 Apr, 2025 First submitted to journal 14 Apr, 2025 You are reading this latest preprint version Research Square lets you share your work early, gain feedback from the community, and start making changes to your manuscript prior to peer review in a journal. As a division of Research Square Company, we’re committed to making research communication faster, fairer, and more useful. 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Also discoverable on Platform About Our Team In Review Editorial Policies Advisory Board Help Center Resources Author Services Accessibility API Access RSS feed Manage Cookie Preferences © Research Square 2026 | ISSN 2693-5015 (online) Privacy Policy Terms of Service Do Not Sell My Personal Information {"props":{"pageProps":{"initialData":{"identity":"rs-6447688","acceptedTermsAndConditions":true,"allowDirectSubmit":false,"archivedVersions":[],"articleType":"Article","associatedPublications":[],"authors":[{"id":446841469,"identity":"bcc0f503-fa6a-487b-ad62-509c3e6643a7","order_by":0,"name":"Kexin Xie","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"Guangxi University","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Kexin","middleName":"","lastName":"Xie","suffix":""},{"id":446841470,"identity":"7eb05018-a3b4-46c9-ada1-4f97621911a9","order_by":1,"name":"Jiacheng Xie","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"Guangxi 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