Thiosemicarbazone-Modified Cellulose: Synthesis, Characterization, and Adsorption Studies on Cu(II) Removal

Thiosemicarbazide-modified cellulose (MTC) has been studied for removing heavy metals in the water source or for extracting some precious metals. The conditions of synthesis of MTC and Cu­(II) removal were optimized by single-variable analysis through oxidation–reduction on titration and photometry. The results of Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, Brunauer–Emmett–Teller, and thermogravimetric analyses show that MTC exists in the thioketone form with a high surface area and heat durability. The Cu­(II) removal was of pseudo-second order and the isotherm equation correlated best with the Langmuir equation. MTC has the maximum capacity of adsorption, which is q_m = 106.3829 mg g^–1. Furthermore, MTC can be regenerated without the loss of adsorption efficiency after ten cycles of adsorption and desorption.