%0 Journal Article
%A Vila Juárez, Mercedes
%A Sánchez Salcedo, Sandra
%A Cicuéndez Maroto, Mónica
%A Izquierdo Barba, Isabel
%A Vallet Regí, María Dulce Nombre
%T Novel biopolymer-coated hydroxyapatite foams for removing heavy-metals from polluted water
%D 2011
%@ 0304-3894
%U https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.14352/96020
%X 3D-macroporous biopolymer-coated hydroxyapatite (HA) foams have been developed as potential devices for the treatment of lead, cadmium and copper contamination of consumable waters. These foams have exhibited a fast and effective ion metal immobilization into the HA structure after an in vitro treatment mimicking a serious water contamination case. To improve HA foam stability at contami-nated aqueous solutions pH, as well as its handling and shape integrity the 3D-macroporous foams have been coated with biopolymers polycaprolactone (PCL) and gelatine cross-linked with glutaraldehyde (G/Glu). Metal ion immobilization tests have shown higher and fast heavy metals captured as function of hydrophilicity rate of biopolymer used. After an in vitro treatment, foam morphology integrity is guar-anteed and the uptake of heavy metal ions rises up to 405  mol/g in the case of Pb2+, 378 umol/g of Cu2+ and 316 umol/g of Cd2+. These novel materials promise a feasible advance in development of new, easy to handle and low cost water purifying methods.
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