A lightweight porous ceramic foam loading Prussian blue analogue for removal of toxic ions in water

A novel sort of reticular ceramic foam, which could float on the water, was made from natural zeolite powder. A thin film of Prussian blue analogue could grow on and firmly combine with the desilicated ceramic surface of this foam. The present analogue formation on the ceramic foam was investigated mainly by means of Infrared spectroscopy and X-ray photoelectron spectrum. After loading the analogue, the electron energy spectrum peak of Al2p changed from 74.5 eV to 74.9 eV for the Al atom in the desilicated ceramic surface layer, and the peak of Fe2p3 changed correspondingly from 708.7 eV to 708.4 eV for the Fe atom in K4Fe(CN)6, indicating the Fe(CN)64- had bonded to the Al atom in the surface layer to form the analogue. Such loaded ceramic foam is capable of exchanging ions between K and toxic elements to manifest a good performance in Cs adsorption experiment.