An innovative method for effective rubidium recovery from wastewater using tungsten-doped microsphere magnetic tin sulfide

We synthesized a novel tungsten-doping metal sulfide, K1.46W0.02Sn2.95S6.69 (KWTS), for the efficient recovery of rubidium ions (Rb+) from wastewater. KWTS showed a high adsorption capacity of 184.68 mg/g and a fast adsorption rate of 10 seconds for Rb+. It also had a high selectivity for Rb+ over other alkali metal ions and a wide pH range of applicability. By magnetizing and crosslinking KWTS with sodium alginate crosslinking, we obtained micron-sized spherical particulates of Fe3O4@KWTS, which retained the excellent adsorption performance of KWTS and facilitated the separation of the adsorbent from aqueous phase. Fe3O4@KWTS also exhibited extraordinary stability after repeated cycles. This work provides a new avenue for ultrafast Rb+ resource recovery from wastewater.