Arsenic sorption and redox transformation on iron‐impregnated ordered mesoporous carbon

Ordered mesoporous carbon has been actively investigated for its potential applications as catalyst supports, electrochemical materials and gas separation media. In this study, we tested an iron‐modified ordered mesoporous carbon (FeOMC) for its ability to adsorb arsenic from the aqueous phase. The FeOMC synthesis involved the preparation of an ordered silica template SBA‐15, in situ polymerization of acrylic acid in the template, carbonization and template removal to obtain the ordered mesoporous carbon, and iron impregnation. Batch experiments showed that the pH level of the solution had a major impact on arsenic sorption. Further, we found that the presence of anions (i.e. PO₄^3? and SiO₃^2?) could significantly decrease the sorption of both arsenate and arsenite. Arsenite oxidation to arsenate was observed in alkaline solutions, with or without anions being present. The oxidation of arsenite was attributed to both direct and catalytic reactions with the surface functional groups on the ordered mesoporous carbon. Adsorption of arsenic on FeOMC could be well explained by the surface complexation model. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.