The Adsorption of Phenol, <i>m</i>-Cresol and <i>m</i>-Catechol on a β-Cyclodextrin Derivative-Grafted Chitosan and the Removal of Phenols from Industrial Wastewater

A β-cyclodextrin derivative (CCDC) was synthesized with chitosan and carboxymethyl-β-cyclodextrin, and its structure was characterized via elemental analysis, infrared spectral analysis and X-ray diffraction analysis. On addition of DMF to the reaction solution, the degree of substitution by the carboxymethyl-β-cyclodextrin moiety achieved a value of 0.27. The results were in agreement with expectations. The static adsorption properties of CCDC towards phenol, m-cresol and m-catechol were studied. The experimental results demonstrated that CCDC had a higher adsorption capability towards m-catechol than for phenol and m-cresol, with the adsorption capacity for m-catechol being 110.56 mg/g. The adsorption capacity was greatly influenced by the pH, time and temperature. The introduction of chitosan enhanced the adsorption ability and adsorption selectivity of β-cyclodextrin towards m-catechol. This novel chitosan derivative demonstrated high percentage removal of phenols from wastewater.