REN Xiaohua¹， JIANG Xixi¹， DONG Yingying¹， ZHANG Jinying²

1.School of Water Conservancy and Environment， University of Jinan， Jinan 250022， China； 2. Shandong Provincial Institute of Land Surveying and Mapping， Jinan 250102， China

Abstract

Significance　Water is an invaluable resource essential for daily life and industrial activities. However，rapid industrialization has led to increased discharge of agricultural，domestic，and industrial wastewater，resulting in serious water pollution that directly threatens human health. Chitosan （CS），a natural polymer flocculant，is recognized for its safety，non-toxicity，outstanding biocompatibility，biodegradability，adsorption and film-forming properties，and hydrophilicity. These characteristics have attracted widespread attention in the fields of food，medicine，cosmetics，and environmental protection.Moreover，chitosan molecular chains，rich in amino and hydroxyl groups，offer good modification and reactivity，making chitosan a commonly used precursor for the preparation of composite microspheres used in water treatment to remove various pollutants.

Progress　The study reviews recent literature on chitosan composite microspheres and their applications in water treatment.It summarizes the preparation methods，classification，and potential applications in treating heavy metal，organic，and radioactive wastewater.Traditional preparation methods for chitosan composite microspheres include emulsion cross-linking，spray drying，coagulation，and ionic gelation.However，these methods often result in products with low mechanical strength and limited application scope.To address these issues，researchers have optimized and modified chitosan using techniques such as carboxylation，acylation，alkylation，cross-linking，and graft modification，which greatly improve the mechanical strength and broaden the application scope of these microspheres. In heavy metal wastewater treatment， chitosan composite microspheres exhibit strong adsorption capacity for heavy metalions，effectively reducing their concentrations in wastewater while ensuring minimal environmental impact due to their biocompatibility. For organic wastewater，these microspheres effectively remove organic pollutants and can be used to prepare high-efficiency filtration membranes for advanced treatment as a result of their high specific surface area and porosity. In radioactive wastewater treatment，chitosan composite microspheres demonstrate strong adsorption capacity for radionuclides， making them suitable for the preparation of radioactive wastewater treatment and disposal materials owing to their excellent biocompatibility.

Conclusions and Prospects　Chitosan composite microspheres hold great potential in water treatment but still face major challenges in developing economic， efficient， and environmentally-friendly preparation methods， as well as in understanding the mechanisms for pollutant removal. Future studies should focus on optimizing preparation methods， regulating the micro and macro structures of these microspheres， and exploring the mechanisms for pollutant removal. Such efforts will improve the practical application of chitosan composite microspheres in water treatment， leading to significant breakthroughs and development.

Keywords： chitosan microsphere； preparation method； composite microsphere classification； water treatment application；organic wastewater

Get Citation:REN Xiaohua，JIANG Xixi，DONG Yingying，et al.Preparation and applications of chitosan composite microspheres in water treatment［J］.China Powder Science and Technology，2025，31（3）：1−14.

Received:2024-04-22.Revised:2024-07-21,Online:2025-03-03.

Funding Project：国家自然科学基金项目，编号：51908242。

First Author:任小花（1986—），女，副教授，博士，研究方向为碳纳米材料制备及在水处理中的应用。E-mail ： stu_renxh@ujn. edu. cn。

DOI：10.13732/j.issn.1008-5548.2025.03.012

CLC No:X703； TB4                Type Code:A

Serial No:1008-5548（2025）03-0001-14