A novel Sn/SnO_x Ti₃C₂T_x nanosheet for adsorptive strontium removal in aqueous solution

A novel Sn/SnO_x@Ti₃C₂T_x adsorbent was fabricated via in situ growth of Sn/SnO_x particles on layers of Ti₃C₂T_x nanosheets using facile electrostatic attraction followed by liquid-phase reduction. The characterization results demonstrated that Sn/SnO_x particles were uniformly anchored onto the Ti₃C₂T_x surface and a sandwich-like-structured nanocomposite was formed. The introduction of Sn/SnO_x particles increased the space between the Ti₃C₂T_x nanosheets, thereby increasing the number of active sites for Sr²⁺ ion removal. Moreover, the incorporated particles served as pillars to strengthen the structural stability of the Ti₃C₂T_x matrix and inhibited nanolayer restacking during Sr²⁺ion removal. Experimental results indicated that an initial strontium concentration of 5.0 mg/L was reduced to approximately 0.26 mg/L by Sn/SnO_x@Ti₃C₂T_x within 90 min at pH 7. Furthermore, the Langmuir isotherm best fitted the adsorption data, and the maximum adsorption capacity of Sn/SnO_x@Ti₃C₂T_x for Sr²⁺ ions was 71.04 mg/g at 298 K. Thus, Sn/SnO_x@Ti₃C₂T_x nanocomposites is a promising adsorbent for the removal of Sr²⁺ ions from aqueous media.