Development and characterization of N-substituted derivative of 2-sulfanylacetamide on Phyllanthus emblica seed coat as novel adsorbent for remediation of As(III) from water

Primary aliphatic or aromatic amino acids on Phyllanthus emblica seed coat are derivatized in the form of N-substituted 2-sulfanylacetamide derivative. Pristine P. emblica (PPE) and derivatized P. emblica (DPE) products were used for removal of trivalent arsenic from aqueous sample. Thioglycolic acid and 1-ethyl-3-(3-dimethylaminopropyl) carbodiimidehydrochloride (EDC) were used for the derivatization process. The carboxylic group of thioglycolic acid reacts with EDC to form an activated ester leaving group, which is displaced by nucleophilic attack of primary amino acids on seed coat. The BET surface area (0.3152 +/- 0.0081 m(2)/g) and Langmuir surface area (0.3571 +/- 0.0054 m(2)/g) of PPE are changed after modification. DPE showed high surface area compared to un-derivatized adsorbent due to presence of more modified groups on the surface (BET surface area 0.5812 m(2)/g, Langmuir surface area 0.6372 m(2)/g). Infrared and EDX studies confirmed modification of prepared material. The batch study was carried out by using 0.06 g/L of adsorbent dose at pH 7 for 120 minutes of contact time. The Langmuir q(max) for PPE and DPE were observed to be 76.92 and 90.90 mg/g respectively.