Efficient adsorption of cationic dyes by a novel honeycomb-like porous hydrogel with ultrahigh mechanical property

The optimization of hydrogel structure is crucial for adsorption capacity, mechanical stability, and reusability. Herein, a chitosan and laponite-XLS co-doped poly(acrylic acid-co-acrylamide) hydrogel (CXAA) with honeycomb-like porous structures is synthesized by cooperative cross-linking of 2-hydroxypropyltrimethyl ammonium chloride chitosan (HACC) and laponite-XLS in reticular frameworks of acrylic acid (AAc) and acrylamide (AM). The CXAA exhibits extraordinary mechanical performances including tough tensile strength (3.36 MPa) and elasticity (2756 %), which facilitates recycling in practical adsorption treatment and broadens potential applications. Since the regular porous structures can fully expose numerous adsorption sites and electronegative natures within polymer materials, CXAA displays efficient and selective adsorption properties for cationic dyes like methylene blue (MB) and malachite green (MG) from mixed pollutants and can reach record-high values (MB = 6886 mg g⁻¹, MG = 11,381 mg g⁻¹) compared with previously reported adsorbents. Therefore, CXAA exhibits promising potential for separating cationic and anionic dyes by their charge disparities. Mechanism studies show that the synergistic effects of HACC, laponite-XLS, and functional groups in monomers promote highly efficient adsorption. Besides, the adsorption capacity of CXAA remains stable even after undergoing five cycles of regeneration. The results confirm that CXAA is a promising adsorbent for effectively removing organic dyes in wastewater.