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Investigation of factors affecting the physicochemical properties and degradation performance of nZVI@mesoSiO2 nanocomposites

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Abstract

The nZVI@mesoSiO2 nanocomposites with ordered mesoporous structure were successfully prepared through a novel two-step method. Influences of the different conditions on the physicochemical properties and catalytic behavior were investigated. Degradation of 2,4,6-trichlorophenol (2,4,6-TCP) under different conditions was evaluated, and the possible activation mechanism was speculated. The results indicate that only the definite increase in the molar ratio of CTAB/NaOH (cetyltrimethylammonium bromide/sodium hydroxide) helps to obtain the higher specific surface area and narrower pore size distribution of the nZVI@mesoSiO2. The thickness of this silica coating could be easily regulated by changing the dosage of the TEOS (tetraethylorthosilicate) precursor. High dosage of the TEOS (larger than 5 mL) leads to the formation of core-free silica particles and low catalytic activity, while nZVI@mesoSiO2 cannot fully develop at a low dosage (2.5 mL). By controlling different extraction conditions, the nanoscale zero-valent iron core (nZVI) in the composite can be well preserved and corrosion resistant in the whole synthesis process. In this case, the as-prepared nanocomposites offer a high surface area of 638.78 m2 g−1 as well as a large accessible pore volume of 0.49 cm3 g−1 for the degradation, which contributing to a fast and efficient degradation of 2,4,6-TCP from aqueous solutions at an appropriate pH (pH 5.0). Moreover, the reusability investigation indicated that the nZVI cores will be inactivated and the pore will be blocked after repeated cyclic reactions. This comprehensive information provides not only a great understanding of the regulation mechanism of core–shell mesoporous nanocomposites, but also a further useful modification of the composites with high selectivity for 2,4,6-TCP.

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Acknowledgements

This work was supported by National Natural Science Foundation of China [Nos. 31570568 and 31670585], Science and Technology Planning Project of Guangzhou City, China [Nos. 201607010079, 201607020007], Science and Technology Planning Project of Guangdong Province, China [Nos. 2016A020221005 and 2017A040405022]. The authors are grateful to all the anonymous reviewers for their insightful comments and suggestions.

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  1. College of Environment and Energy, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou, 510006, China

    Minrong Wu, Yongwen Ma, Jinquan Wan, Yan Wang, Zeyu Guan & Zhicheng Yan

  2. The Key Lab of Pollution Control and Ecosystem Restoration in Industry Clusters, Ministry of Education, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou, 510006, China

    Yongwen Ma, Jinquan Wan & Yan Wang

  3. State Key Laboratory of Pulp and Paper Engineering, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou, 510641, China

    Yongwen Ma & Jinquan Wan

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  1. Minrong Wu
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Wu, M., Ma, Y., Wan, J. et al. Investigation of factors affecting the physicochemical properties and degradation performance of nZVI@mesoSiO2 nanocomposites. J Mater Sci 54, 7483–7502 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10853-018-03312-8

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