Novel magnetic Fe3O4@C nanoparticles as adsorbents for removal of organic dyes from aqueous solution

doi:10.1016/j.jhazmat.2011.07.033

Journal of Hazardous Materials

Volume 193, 15 October 2011, Pages 325-329

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhazmat.2011.07.033 Get rights and content

Abstract

The magnetic Fe₃O₄/C core–shell nanoparticles have been synthesized by a simple strategy and used as adsorbents for removal of organic dyes from aqueous solution. The resulting products are characterized by scanning electron microscope (SEM), energy dispersive X-ray spectrometry (EDX), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), X-ray diffraction (XRD), Raman spectra and Fourier transform infrared spectra (FTIR). Adsorption performances of the nanomaterial adsorbents are tested with removal of methylene blue (MB) and cresol red (CR) from aqueous solution. The effects of solution pH value, adsorption time and capacity of the nanocomposites have been fully investigated. The results reveal that the nanospheres can be easily manipulated by an external magnetic field with high separation efficiency. In addition, the process is clean and safe for purifying water pollution. The prepared Fe₃O₄/C complex nanomaterials could thus be used as promising adsorbents for the remove organic dyes, especially, cationic dye, from polluted water.

Highlights

► In this work, novel magnetic Fe₃O₄@C nanoparticles have been synthesized and employed as high efficient adsorbent for removal cationic dyes from polluted water. ► While up to now, little study is done on adsorption of dyes by the Fe₃O₄@C nanoparticles. ► Hence, here we provide a simply and environment friendly method for removal of cationic dyes or other pollutants from water.

Introduction

Organic dyes are widely used in various fields and seriously induce water pollution. Most of the industrial dyes are toxic, carcinogenic, and teratogenic [1] and unfortunately most of them are stable and resistance to photo degradation, biodegradation, oxidizing agents [2]. Conventional physicochemical and biological treatment methods are ineffective for removal these dyes due to their extreme stability. Hence, adsorption technique becomes one of the preferable choices to purify the waste water which containing dyes.

Recently, magnetic loaded adsorbent materials have gained special attention in water purification [3], based on their numerous advantages such as high separation efficiency, simple manipulation process, kind operation conditions [4] and easy specifically functional modifications. Gong et al. prepared magnetic multi-wall carbon nanotube nanocomposite as an adsorbent for removal of cationic dyes from aqueous solution [5]. Ai et al. and Luo et al. reported that the magnetic composites with activated carbon could efficiently adsorb organic dyes [6], [7], respectively. Zargar et al. reported that iron oxide nanoparticles coated with cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB) performed as a high efficient adsorbent for removal of amaranth (AM) from water solution [8]. While Elwakeel and Zhu et al. found that when the iron oxide nanoparticles cross-linked with chitosan, the removal ability to reactive black 5 and hazardous azo dye were greatly improved [9], [10]. Other magnetic particles, including magnetic silica modified with amine groups and magnetic alginate beads cross-linked with epichlorohydrin, were found adsorb acid orange 10 [11] and similar dyes [12], [13] with high efficiency. However, little study is done on adsorption of dyes by magnetic particles cross-linked with carbon until now, which is easily synthesized, particularly economic and environment friendly.

In this work, using FeCl₃·6H₂O as an iron source and glucose as a carbon source, novel superparamagnetic Fe₃O₄/C core–shell nanoparticels were prepared as adsorbents for removal of organic dyes from aqueous solution. The composites displayed high efficiency to adsorb contaminants from aqueous effluents. And after adsorption accomplished, they can be easily separated from the water by an adscititious magnetic field. The adsorption kinetics was fully investigated and two typical dyes, methylene blue (MB) and cresol red (CR), were employed as model organic pollutants to test the adsorption performance of the nanoparticles.

Section snippets

Materials and methods

Ferric trichloride (FeCl₃·6H₂O), sodium acetate anhydrous were obtained from Shanghai Wenming Biochemical Science & Technology Co., Ltd (Shanghai, China). Glucose, sodium hydroxide, concentrated nitric acid were purchased from Sinopharm Chemical Reagent Co., Ltd (Shanghai, China). Ethylene glycol was bought from Shanghai Qiangshun Chemical Reagent Co., Ltd (Shanghai, China). Methylene blue and cresol red were bought from Shanghai Chemical Reagent NO. 3 Co., Ltd (Shanghai, China). All chemicals

Synthesis and characterization of the Fe₃O₄/C nanospheres

Using a two-step synthesis route for the preparation of Fe₃O₄/C nanospheres, we prepared magnetic nanoparticles coated with carbon. Firstly, using FeCl₃ as an iron source, and ethylene glycol as both solvent and reductant, Fe₃O₄ magnetic nanospheres were obtained. Subsequently, the magnetic nanospheres were coated with a layer of carbon using glucose as a carbon source. After hydrothermal reaction with glucose, the Fe₃O₄ particles were modified with a hydrophilic carbonaceous layer. SEM image

Conclusion

Super paramagnetic Fe₃O₄/C nanoparticles with average size ∼250 nm in the diameter have been synthesized for removal of the cationic dyes from water. The prepared magnetic nanospheres can be well dispersed in the aqueous solution and easily separated from the solution in 10 s using an external magnet after adsorption. The adsorption capacities for MB and CR in the concentration range studied are 44.38 mg g⁻¹ and 11.22 mg g⁻¹ respectively. The process of purifying water pollution presented here is

Acknowledgements

This work was supported by National Science Foundation of China and the Student Science and Technology Innovation Finance Scheme of Fudan University.

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Short communicationNovel magnetic Fe3O4@C nanoparticles as adsorbents for removal of organic dyes from aqueous solution

Abstract

Highlights

Introduction

Section snippets

Materials and methods

Synthesis and characterization of the Fe3O4/C nanospheres

Conclusion

Acknowledgements

J. Hazard. Mater.

J. Hazard. Mater.

J. Hazard. Mater.

J. Hazard. Mater.

Chem. Eng. J.

J. Hazard. Mater.

Chemosphere

J. Hazard. Mater.

J. Hazard. Mater.

Chem. Eng. J.

Water Res.

J. Hazard. Mater.

Carbon

J. Alloys Compd.

Short communication
Novel magnetic Fe₃O₄@C nanoparticles as adsorbents for removal of organic dyes from aqueous solution

Synthesis and characterization of the Fe₃O₄/C nanospheres