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[Display omitted] • A novel syrup decolorizer with self floatability (EHGM/PDA/PEI) is fabricated and characterized. • EHGM/PDA/PEI has developed 3D-network porous structure and excellent adsorption performance. • EHGM/PDA/PEI represented great biocompatibility compare favourably with rice. • Adsorption mass transfer process can be described comprehensively by phenomenological models. • IGM analysis supplemented the interaction mechanism of EHGM/PDA/PEI and caramel docking. A polyethyleneimine/polydopamine-functionalized self-floating microsphere (EHGM/PDA/PEI) bears an etched hollow glass microsphere as a support, polydopamine as an interfacial cross-linking "glue", and polyethyleneimine as a functional monomer was fabricated and used as a decolorization sorbent for sugarcane juice. The advantages of EHGM/PDA/PEI for sugarcane juice decolorization were attributed to its richness of target polyethyleneimine monomers, well-connected and abundant three-dimensional network-like aperture structure, and nontoxicity. Moreover, EHGM/PDA/PEI has excellent self-floating performance to allow separation from the adsorption system after decolorization and may have a faster separation speed and lower energy consumption than conventional solid–liquid separation methods. Synthetic caramels were used as model colorants of sugarcane juice to assess EHGM/PDA/PEI performance. The adsorption capacity of EHGM/PDA/PEI for caramels was 18.36 mg/g with a removal efficiency of 91.80% in the adsorption equilibrium state. The interaction mechanisms revealed that the caramel adsorption on EHGM/PDA/PEI was mostly mediated by protonated amine groups, followed by electron sharing. Two layers of caramels adhered onto EHGM/PDA/PEI were mainly mediated by electrovalent bonds between carboxylate and protonated amine. On average, one caramel molecule can be shared by 3–4 protonated amine groups of EHGM/PDA/PEI, which suggests a parallel sorption orientation. Four phenomenological mass transfer models [external diffusion resistance (EXTDR), internal diffusion resistance (INTDR), EXTDR–INTDR mixed, and adsorption onto active sites (AOAS)] proposed new and unique insights into the dynamic properties of the adsorption process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Melanoidins are hazardous dark-coloured substances contained in molasses-based distillery wastewater. Adsorption is an effective approach to eliminate melanoidins from wastewater. However, melanoidin adsorption capacities of available adsorbents are unsatisfactory, which seriously limits their practical application. A hyperbranched polyethyleneimine-functionalised chitosan aerogel (HPCA) was fabricated as an effective adsorbent for melanoidin scavenging. HPCA demonstrated superior melanoidin adsorption efficiency because of its high specific surface area, abundant amino functional groups, and high hydrophilicity. Melanoidin removal rate of HPCA was 94.95%, which remained at 91.45% after 5 cycles. Notably, using the Langmuir isothermal model, the maximum melanoidin adsorption capacity of HPCA was determined to be 868.36 mg/g, surpassing those of most of previously reported adsorbents. Toxicity experiments indicated that HPCA can be considered a safe adsorbent with excellent biocompatibility that hardly threatens aquatic organisms. The efficient melanoidin removal of HPCA was attributed to electrostatic attraction, H-bonding, and van der Waals force. However, the adsorption might be predominantly controlled by electrovalent interaction between protonated amino groups of HPCA and carboxyl/carboxylate groups of melanoidins. Two novel models, namely, external diffusion resistance-internal diffusion resistance mixed model and adsorption on active site model, were employed to describe the dynamic mass transfer characteristics of melanoidin adsorption by HPCA. [Display omitted] • HPCA demonstrated excellent adsorption capacity of 868.36 mg/g for melanoidins. • Adsorption mechanism was mainly electrostatic interaction for melanoidins. • Primary amine groups exhibited stronger melanoidin binding capacity than other groups. • Key factors affecting the melanoidin removal performance of HPCA were studied. • Adsorption process can be described well by the new combination model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Pomelo peel was creatively converted into environmental remediation adsorbent. • Novel PEI-PPA efficiently eliminates melanoidins from spent wash. • Interpretation of adsorption mechanism was via phenomenological models. • The micro-interaction was deciphered by molecular simulation. Melanoidins are recalcitrant colouring and polluting polymers present in the effluent streams of molasses-based distilleries. Adsorption is the most prospective technology with ease of operation and high efficiency. Herein, the removal of melanoidins from spent wash was investigated by synthesising a polyethyleneimine (PEI) functionalised pomelo-peel (PP) derived aerogel (PEI-PPA). The PEI-PPA is distinguished by the porous network structure and abundant accessible functional groups (mainly protonated primary amine) that are conducive to the elimination of colouring contaminants (melanoidins). The incorporation of PEI into supporting matrices (i.e., PP–derived aerogel) effectively improved the melanoidin adsorption capacity (from a previous-best research of 230 mg/g to the current 615.70 mg/g), while the melanoidin removal rate reached 92.36 %. The independent gradient model and Hirshfeld surface analysis were used to investigated the possible electroweak interaction relationship between PEI-PPA and melanoidin. By analysing the number of melanoidin molecules bonded to each active site using a novel double-layer adsorption model, a mixed inclination (parallel and non-parallel orientation) of melanoidin onto the PEI-PPA surface was found. For the two mass transfer models fitted results, the adsorption onto the active sites (AOAS) model better described the behaviour of melanoidin adsorption by PEI-PPA than the external diffusion resistance–internal diffusion resistance (EDR–IDR) mixed model under the same conditions, revealing the AOAS was rate-controlling during the mass transfer process. AOAS both contained chemisorption and physisorption. The calculated rates of chemisorption were far higher than those of physisorption before equilibration, indicating chemisorption was main the rate-determining step. Altogether, this work proposed an effective conversion for PP into bio-adsorbent and provided a detailed analysis of mass transfer mechanism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]