Preparation of extractant-containing emulsion hydrogel microspheres from gelatin-sodium alginate composite materials for Zn2+ adsorption

Preparation of extractant-containing emulsion hydrogel microspheres from gelatin-sodium alginate composite materials for Zn2+ adsorption | 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 Research Article Preparation of extractant-containing emulsion hydrogel microspheres from gelatin-sodium alginate composite materials for Zn 2+ adsorption AiWei Fu, Yaodong Liang, Yongjun He This is a preprint; it has not been peer reviewed by a journal. https://doi.org/ 10.21203/rs.3.rs-7747990/v1 This work is licensed under a CC BY 4.0 License Status: Published Journal Publication published 26 Feb, 2026 Read the published version in Journal of Polymer Research → Version 1 posted 5 You are reading this latest preprint version Abstract In the field of aqueous metal ion removal, conventional metal ion extraction methods often face limitations such as low separation efficiency and leaching of extractants, leading to secondary environmental contamination. This study used the Pickering emulsion templating method, with gelatin-sodium alginate complexes as stabilizing particles, to fabricate a Pickering emulsion hydrogel (PEHGs) loaded with the zinc extractant dis(2-ethylhexyl) phosphoric acid (P204). The resulting hydrogel system not only improves emulsion stability but also effectively sequesters Zn²⁺ ions from aqueous solutions. Structural characterization was conducted using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The influence of pH, adsorbent dosage, initial zinc concentration, and contact time on adsorption capacity was investigated by the study. Results showed that at pH 4, the PEHGs exhibited a maximum adsorption capacity of 13.47 mg g⁻¹ for Zn²⁺. The adsorption behavior follows pseudo-second-order kinetics and fits the Langmuir-Freundlich isotherm, suggesting a chemisorption-dominated mechanism. This corresponds to monolayer adsorption of a single solute from dilute solution onto heterogeneous surfaces. The adsorbent retains over 80% removal efficiency through five regeneration cycles, demonstrating excellent reusability. This study establishes a theoretical framework for preparing extractant-incorporated Pickering emulsion hydrogel microspheres using gelatin-sodium alginate composites. We developed an environmentally friendly and cost-effective adsorbent for heavy metal ions. dis(2-ethylhexyl) phosphoric acid Pickering emulsion hydrogel Langmuir-Freundlich isotherm reusability Full Text Cite Share Download PDF Status: Published Journal Publication published 26 Feb, 2026 Read the published version in Journal of Polymer Research → Version 1 posted Reviewers agreed at journal 24 Oct, 2025 Reviewers invited by journal 24 Oct, 2025 Editor invited by journal 22 Oct, 2025 Editor assigned by journal 09 Oct, 2025 First submitted to journal 08 Oct, 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-7747990","acceptedTermsAndConditions":true,"allowDirectSubmit":false,"archivedVersions":[],"articleType":"Research Article","associatedPublications":[],"authors":[{"id":534389433,"identity":"f937adfc-ca1b-472f-b3a8-2ef3b8b18e53","order_by":0,"name":"AiWei Fu","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"AiWei","middleName":"","lastName":"Fu","suffix":""},{"id":534389434,"identity":"5b157c16-fef7-4a5f-a1ea-31663045cf11","order_by":1,"name":"Yaodong 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adsorption\u003c/p\u003e","fulltext":[],"fulltextSource":"","fullText":"","funders":[],"hasAdminPriorityOnWorkflow":false,"hasManuscriptDocX":false,"hasOptedInToPreprint":true,"hasPassedJournalQc":"","hasAnyPriority":false,"hideJournal":false,"highlight":"","institution":"","isAcceptedByJournal":true,"isAuthorSuppliedPdf":true,"isDeskRejected":"","isHiddenFromSearch":false,"isInQc":false,"isInWorkflow":true,"isPdf":true,"isPdfUpToDate":true,"isWithdrawnOrRetracted":false,"journal":{"display":true,"email":"[email protected]","identity":"journal-of-polymer-research","isNatureJournal":false,"hasQc":true,"allowDirectSubmit":false,"externalIdentity":"jpol","sideBox":"Learn more about [Journal of Polymer Research](https://www.springer.com/journal/10965)","snPcode":"10965","submissionUrl":"https://www.editorialmanager.com/jpol/","title":"Journal of Polymer Research","twitterHandle":"","acdcEnabled":true,"dfaEnabled":true,"editorialSystem":"em","reportingPortfolio":"Springer Hybrid","inReviewEnabled":true,"inReviewRevisionsEnabled":false},"keywords":"dis(2-ethylhexyl) phosphoric acid, Pickering emulsion hydrogel, Langmuir-Freundlich isotherm, reusability","lastPublishedDoi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-7747990/v1","lastPublishedDoiUrl":"https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-7747990/v1","license":{"name":"CC BY 4.0","url":"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/"},"manuscriptAbstract":"\u003cp\u003eIn the field of aqueous metal ion removal, conventional metal ion extraction methods often face limitations such as low separation efficiency and leaching of extractants, leading to secondary environmental contamination. This study used the Pickering emulsion templating method, with gelatin-sodium alginate complexes as stabilizing particles, to fabricate a Pickering emulsion hydrogel (PEHGs) loaded with the zinc extractant dis(2-ethylhexyl) phosphoric acid (P204). The resulting hydrogel system not only improves emulsion stability but also effectively sequesters Zn\u0026sup2;⁺ ions from aqueous solutions. Structural characterization was conducted using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The influence of pH, adsorbent dosage, initial zinc concentration, and contact time on adsorption capacity was investigated by the study. Results showed that at pH 4, the PEHGs exhibited a maximum adsorption capacity of 13.47 mg g⁻\u0026sup1; for Zn\u0026sup2;⁺. The adsorption behavior follows pseudo-second-order kinetics and fits the Langmuir-Freundlich isotherm, suggesting a chemisorption-dominated mechanism. This corresponds to monolayer adsorption of a single solute from dilute solution onto heterogeneous surfaces. The adsorbent retains over 80% removal efficiency through five regeneration cycles, demonstrating excellent reusability. This study establishes a theoretical framework for preparing extractant-incorporated Pickering emulsion hydrogel microspheres using gelatin-sodium alginate composites. 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