Abstract:
Magnetic Fe3O4/GO and Ag-Fe3O4/GO nanocomposites were synthesized by facile
and easy methods. The synthesized adsorbents were characterized by XRD, FT-IR,
SEM, and Raman to ensure the successful incorporation of nanoparticles onto GO and
to investigate their structure and morphology. A detailed comparison was made
between magnetic Fe3O4/GO and Ag-Fe3O4/GO nanocomposite for adsorption of
inorganic as well as organic pollutants. The adsorption mechanism of REEs, heavy
metals and Malachite Green dye was studied deeply. The maximum adsorption
capacities (qmax) for Lanthanum, Neodymium, Samarium, Gadolinium, and
Yttrium ions onto the surface of Ag-Fe3O4/GO nanocomposite were estimated to be
338.98 mg/g, 367.64 mg/g, 458.71 mg/g, 248.75 mg/g, 317.46 mg/g respectively,
which are higher than adsorption capacities calculated for Fe3O4/GO nanocomposite.
Fe3O4/GO nanocomposite showed maximum adsorption capacities of 278.55 mg/g,
97.46 mg/g, 208.33 mg/g, 190.11 mg/g, 98.81 mg/g for La, Nd, Sm, Gd, and Y
respectively.
The maximum adsorption capacities (qmax) for Ni, Cr, Co, and Cd ions onto the
surface of Ag-Fe3O4/GO nanocomposite were estimated to be 102.9 mg/g, 143.41
mg/g, 110.78 mg/g, and 90.75 mg/g respectively, which are higher than adsorption
capacities of Fe3O4/GO nanocomposite for heavy metals. Fe3O4/GO nanocomposite
showed maximum adsorption capacities of 92.55 mg/g, 120.46 mg/g, 87.33 mg/g,
and 82.11 mg/g for Ni, Cr, Co, and Cd respectively. The adsorption of heavy metals
onto the surface of both nanocomposites was monolayer adsorption. Adsorption
kinetics suggested the chemisorption mechanism for adsorption of heavy metals
cations onto the surface of both nanocomposites.
The maximum adsorption capacity for MG onto the surface of Fe3O4/GO and Ag-
Fe3O4/GO nanocomposites was calculated to be 43 mg/g and 56 mg/g respectively.
Hence, a multifunctional, magnetically separable, nanohybrid Ag-Fe3O4/GO
nanocomposite with enhanced adsorption capacity was modified out of Fe3O4/GO
which can serve to control booming water pollution.
