Organosilane-functionalized Fe3O4 composite particles as effective magnetic assisted adsorbents

Functionalized MoO3 Nanosheets for High-Efficiency RhB Removal

2D nanostructured materials have been applied for water purification in the past decades due to their excellent separation and adsorption performance. However, the functional 2D nanostructured molybdenum trioxide (MoO3)has rarely been reported for the removal of dyes. Here, functionalized MoO3 (F-MoO3) nanosheets are successfully fabricated with a high specific surface area (106 cc g-1) by a one-step mechanochemical exfoliation method as a highly effective adsorbent for removing dyes from water. According to the Raman, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, Fourier transform infrared (FTIR), and selected area electron diffraction analysis, functional groups (hdroxyl groups, amide groups, amine groups and amino groups) are identified in the as-prepared F-MoO3 nanosheets. The attached functional groups not only facilitate the dispersal ability of F-MoO3 nanosheets but also enhance the adsorption capacities. Thus, the performance (up to 556 mg g-1 when the initial concentration of Rhodamine B solution is 100 mg L-1) of as-prepared F-MoO3 nanosheets is almost two times higher than other reported MoO3 materials. Furthermore, the FTIR spectra, isotherm, and several factors (e.g., adsorbent dosage and adsorbate dosage) are also systematically investigated to explore the adsorption mechanism. Therefore, this work demonstrates that the F-MoO3 nanosheets are a promising candidate for wastewater treatment.

Interactions between adsorbents and adsorbates in aqueous solutions

Adsorption is one of the most widely used processes in physicochemical operations. To design an adsorbent for a specific adsorbate, it is important to understand the interactions between adsorbents and adsorbates, which are very important for both adsorption capacity and selectivity. Electrostatic interactions, hydrogen bonding, hydrophobic interactions, complexation, and precipitation are comprehensively discussed. Adjusting solution pH and ionic strength is an effective method to improve the adsorption, especially when electrostatic and hydrophobic interactions are main interactions. With the increase in ionic strength, the hydrophobic interactions between adsorbents and adsorbates increase, while the electrostatic interactions decrease.

Adsorptive removal and photocatalytic degradation of organic pollutants using metal oxides and their composites: A comprehensive review

Metal oxide nanomaterials and their composites are comprehensively reviewed for water remediation. The controlled morphological and textural features, variable surface chemistry, high surface area, specific crystalline nature, and abundant availability make the nanostructured metal oxides and their composites highly selective materials for efficient removal of organic pollutants based on adsorption and photocatalytic degradation. A wide range of metal oxides like iron oxides, magnesium oxide, titanium oxides, zinc oxides, tungsten oxides, copper oxides, metal oxides composites, and graphene-metal oxides composites having variable structural, crystalline and morphological features are reviewed emphasizing the recent development, challenges, and opportunities for adsorptive removal and photocatalytic degradation of organic pollutants viz. dyes, pesticides, phenolic compounds, and so on. It also covers the deep discussion on the photocatalytic mechanism of metal oxides and their composites along with the properties relevant to photocatalysis. High photodegradation efficiency, economically-viable approaches for the preparation of photocatalytic materials, and controlled band-gap engineering make metal oxides highly efficient photocatalysts for degradation of organic pollutants. The review would be an excellent resource for researchers who are currently focusing on metal oxides-based materials for water remediation as well as for those who are interested in adsorptive and photocatalytic applications of metal oxides and their composites.

Functionalized magnetic Fe3O4 nanoparticles for removal of heavy metal ions from aqueous solutions

Fe3O4 nanoparticles (MNP) were coated with 3-aminopropyltriethoxy-silane (APTES), resulting in anchoring of primary amine groups on the surface of the particles, then four kinds of novel magnetic adsorbents (Fe3O4@SiO2-NH-HCGs) were formed by grafting of different heterocyclic groups (HCG) on amino groups via substitution reaction. These Fe3O4@SiO2-NH-HCGs were characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), X-ray diffraction (XRD) and energy disperse spectroscopy (EDS). The results confirmed the formation of Fe3O4@SiO2-NH-HCGs nanoparticles and the Fe3O4 core possessed superparamagnetism. Batch experiments were performed to evaluate adsorption conditions of Cu2+, Hg2+, Pb2+ and Cd2+. Under normal temperature and neutral condition, just 20 min, the removal efficiency of any Fe3O4@SiO2-NH-HCGs is more than 96%. In addition, these Fe3O4@SiO2-NH-HCGs have good stability and reusability. Their removal efficiency has no obvious decrease after being used seven times. After the experiments were finished, Fe3O4@SiO2-NH-HCGs were conveniently separated via an external magnetic field due to superparamagnetism. These results indicate that these Fe3O4@SiO2-NH-HCGs are potentially attractive materials for the removal of heavy metal ions from industrial wastewater.

Simple synthesis of smart magnetically driven fibrous films for remote controllable oil removal

Inspired by the marine mussel adhesive protein, smart, magnetically controllable, oil adsorption nanofibrous materials were successfully fabricated in this research. Taking advantage of the properties of dopamine whose molecular structure mimics the single unit of the marine mussel adhesive protein and can be polymerized in alkaline solution forming a "glue" layer on many kinds of material surfaces, magnetic iron(II, III) oxide (Fe3O4) nanoparticles were easily and robustly anchored on to electrospun poly(vinylidene fluoride) fibrous films. After fluorination, the as-prepared hierarchical structured films exhibited superhydrophobicity, superoleophilicity and an excellent oil adsorption capacity from water. Importantly, because of the magnetically controllable property endowed by the Fe3O4 nanoparticles, such fibrous films act as a "smart magnetically controlled oil removal carrier", which effectively overcome the drawbacks of other in situ oil adsorbant materials and can also be easily recovered. This work provides a simple strategy to fabricate magnetic responsive intelligent oil removal materials, which will find broad applications in complex environment oil-water separation.

Preparation, characterization and application of magnetic Fe3O4-CS for the adsorption of orange I from aqueous solutions

Fe₃O₄ (Fe₃O₄-CS) coated with magnetic chitosan was prepared as an adsorbent for the removal of Orange I from aqueous solutions and characterized by FTIR, XRD, SEM, TEM and TGA measurements. The effects of pH, initial concentration and contact time on the adsorption of Orange I from aqueous solutions were investigated. The decoloration rate was higher than 94% in the initial concentration range of 50–150 mg L⁻¹ at pH 2.0. The maximum adsorption amount was 183.2 mg g⁻¹ and was obtained at an initial concentration of 400 mg L⁻¹ at pH 2.0. The adsorption equilibrium was reached in 30 minutes, demonstrating that the obtained adsorbent has the potential for practical application. The equilibrium adsorption isotherm was analyzed by the Freundlich and Langmuir models, and the adsorption kinetics were analyzed by the pseudo-first-order and pseudo-second-order kinetic models. The higher linear correlation coefficients showed that the Langmuir model (R² = 0.9995) and pseudo-second-order model (R² = 0.9561) offered the better fits.

Surface properties of submicrometer silica spheres modified with aminopropyltriethoxysilane and phenyltriethoxysilane

The surface of submicrometer silica spheres are modified with aminopropyl and phenyl groups through a one-step process. Various experimental techniques, i.e., scanning electron microscopy (SEM), quasi-elastic light scattering (QELS), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), thermogravimetry (TG), zeta potential measurement, nitrogen sorption, and water vapor and organic dye adsorption are used to comprehensively characterize the pure (TEOS particles) and modified silica particles. The SEM micrographs of the particles demonstrate that the modified particles are spherical with uniform size and shape. The particles modified with aminopropyl groups (APTES particles) show the highest isoelectric point (IEP) and the highest weight loss at 780 degrees C because of the basic nature of aminopropyl groups and the higher reactivity of aminopropyltriethoxysilane. The particles modified with the phenyl groups (PhTES particles) show the lowest water vapor adsorption because their surface is more hydrophobic than that of TEOS and APTES particles. The organic dye (brilliant blue FCF or BBF) adsorption experiments demonstrate that the adsorption capacity of the particles increases greatly after acidification. This is caused by the protonation of silanol groups and amine groups on the particle surface, which presents an enhanced electrostatic attraction with BBF anions. The APTES particles exhibit the highest dye adsorption due to the hydrophobic attractions and the enhanced electrostatic attractions from aminopropyl groups.

Comparison of dye adsorption by mesoporous hybrid gels: Understanding the interactions between dyes and gel surfaces

Without using any templating agents, mesoporous hybrid gels were prepared using mixtures of tetraethoxysilane (TEOS) with n-propyltriethoxysilane (PTES), bis(trimethoxysilyl)hexane (TSH), or bis(trimethoxysilylpropyl)amine (TSPA) as precursors. Fourier transform infrared (FTIR), N2 adsorption/desorption, thermogravimetry (TG), point of zero charge (PZC), and water vapor adsorption measurements were used to characterize the gels. The adsorption of methyl orange (MO), methyl red (MR), bromocresol purple (BP), phenol red (PR), neutral red (NR), and brilliant blue FCF (BBF) by the gels in both 0.01 M HCl and 0.01 M NaOH solutions was compared comprehensively. The gel derived from TEOS/TSH (with -(CH2)6- groups, Gel 2) has the largest specific surface area (695 m2 g(-1)), the smallest pore volume (0.564 cm3 g(-1)), and the smallest average pore size (3.7 nm). The gels derived form TEOS/PTES (with -(CH2)2CH3 groups, Gel 1), and TEOS/TSPA (with -(CH2)3NH(CH2)3- groups, Gel 3) have similar textual properties. The PZC of Gels 1, 2, and 3 was estimated to be 6.28, 6.20, and 6.88, respectively. Gel 3 has the highest PZC due to the presence of -NH- groups. In general, Gel 2 shows the highest dye adsorption among all the gels in both acidic and basic solutions. All the dyes except NR have much lower adsorption in basic solutions than in acidic solutions. In acidic solutions Gels 1 and 2 have similar adsorption trends for the dyes, except for BP, with NR having the highest adsorption, and PR the lowest adsorption. Gel 3 presents a different trend from Gels 1 and 2, with BBF having the highest adsorption, and MR the lowest adsorption. In basic solutions the order of dye adsorption by all the gels is shown to follow the sequence NR>>MR approximately BBF>MO>BP approximately PR. The adsorption results can be explained by considering the textural properties of the gels and the interactions between the gel surfaces and the dyes, which include hydrogen bonding, electrostatic, and hydrophobic interactions.