γ-Fe 2 O 3 nanocrystals-anchored macro/meso-porous graphene as a highly efficient adsorbent toward removal of methylene blue

The simultaneous removal of methylene blue (MB) and Ca2+ by recyclable adsorbents based the scales derived from coal gasification system

The transformation of solid wastes from industrial production into effective adsorbents could significantly contribute to wastewater treatment. In this study, after acidizing and burning soft scale (SS) from coal gasification system, two magnetic adsorbents (mag-ASS and mag-BASS) were prepared via the combination of magnetite with ultrasonic, respectively. The treatment effects of mag-ASS and mag-BASS were then investigated for simulated wastewater containing macromolecular organic matter [i.e., methylene blue (MB)] and Ca2+. The results indicated that the pseudo second order kinetic, Elovich, Freundlich, Langmuir and Temkin model could well describe the adsorption behavior of MB and Ca2+ onto mag-ASS and mag-BASS. The maximum adsorption capacities of mag-ASS for MB and mag-BASS for Ca2+ were 600.53 mg/g and 102.54 mg/g, respectively. Surprisingly, the adsorption abilities of mag-ASS for MB and mag-BASS for Ca2+ show significantly higher than the others. The adsorption mechanisms of MB mainly included electrostatic interaction, π-π conjugate interaction and cation exchange, while those of Ca2+ were mainly electrostatic interaction and cation exchange. The diffusion of MB and Ca2+ onto the magnetic adsorbents might be controlled by the combined effects of intraparticle and liquid film diffusion. There was no significant reduction in adsorption capacity after 8 cycles of adsorption and desorption, indicating that SS-based magnetic adsorbents had good recyclability and stability. Moreover, the removal efficiency of mag-BASS for total hardness and total organic carbon in real coal gasification gray water (CGGW) was 82.60 and 64.10%, respectively. The treatment of CGGW and the resource of wastes would significantly promote the reasonable disposal of coal gasification scales.

Novel Inorganic Membranes Based on Magnetite-Containing Silica Porous Glasses for Ultrafiltration: Structure and Sorption Properties

Porous glasses (PGs) obtained from sodium borosilicate (NBS) phase-separated glasses via leaching are promising inorganic membranes. Introducing Fe₂O₃ into NBS glasses imparts ferrimagnetic properties due to magnetite crystallization. Leaching of such glasses leads to the formation of magnetic PGs with interesting electro-surface characteristics. This work aimed to investigate the process of obtaining magnetite-containing PGs from NBS glasses depending on silica content, using XRPD and Raman spectroscopy, studying the PG membranes' structural characteristics and their sorption properties with respect to methylene blue (MB). Obtained PGs were characterized by a polymodal distribution of mesopores and a small number of micropores with specific surface area values of 32-135 m²/g and an average mesopore diameter of 5-41 nm. The kinetic data were analyzed using pseudo-first-order, pseudo-second-order, and intra-particle diffusion equations. The equilibrium isotherms were fitted with Langmuir, Freundlich, Temkin, and Dubinin-Radushkevich models. MB adsorption was found to be a complex process. The glass with the highest specific surface area demonstrated the maximum sorption capacity (10.5 mg/g). The pore size of PGs allowed them to be considered potential novel magnetic membranes for ultrafiltration.

Transformation of Waste Toner Powder into Valuable Fe2O3 Nanoparticles for the Preparation of Recyclable Co(II)-NH2-SiO2@Fe2O3 and Its Applications in the Synthesis of Polyhydroquinoline and Quinazoline Derivatives

Ecological recycling of waste materials by converting them into valuable nanomaterials can be considered a great opportunity for management and fortification of the environment. This article deals with the environment-friendly synthesis of Fe₂O₃ nanoparticles (composed of α-Fe₂O₃ and γ-Fe₂O₃) using waste toner powder (WTP) via calcination. Fe₂O₃ nanoparticles were then coated with silica using TEOS, functionalized with silane (APTMS), and immobilized with Co(II) to get the desired biocompatible and cost-effective catalyst, i.e., Co(II)-NH₂-SiO₂@Fe₂O₃. The structural features in terms of evaluation of morphology, particle size, presence of functional groups, polycrystallinity, and metal content over the surface were determined by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), powder X-ray diffraction (P-XRD), field emission gun-scanning electron microscopy (FEG-SEM), energy-dispersive X-ray analysis (EDX), high resolution-transmission electron microscopy (HR-TEM), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), vibrating sample magnetometry (VSM), Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET) analysis, and inductively coupled plasma-atomic emission spectroscopy (ICP-AES) studies. XPS confirmed the (II) oxidation state of Co, and ICP-AES and EDX supported the loading of Co(II) over the surface of the support. P-XRD proved the polycrystalline nature of the Fe₂O₃ core and even after functionalization. In comparison to previously reported methods, Co(II)-NH₂-SiO₂@Fe₂O₃ provides an eco-friendly procedure for the synthesis of polyhydroquinoline and quinazoline derivatives with several advantages such as a short reaction time and high yield. Polyhydroquinoline and quinazoline derivatives are important scaffolds in pharmacologically active compounds. Moreover, the developed nanocatalyst was recyclable, and HR-TEM and P-XRD confirmed the agglomeration in the recycled catalyst resulted in a decrease in yield after the fifth run. The present protocol provides a new strategy of recycling e-waste into a heterogeneous nanocatalyst for the synthesis of heterocycles via multicomponent reactions. This made the synthesized catalyst convincingly more superior to other previously reported catalysts for organic transformations.

Facile Preparation of Porous Carbon Derived from Pomelo Peel for Efficient Adsorption of Methylene Blue

Pomelo peel waste-derived porous carbon (PPPC) was prepared by a facile one-step ZnCl₂ activation method. The preparation parameters of PPPC were the mass ratio of ZnCl₂ to pomelo peel of 2:1, carbonization temperature of 500 °C, and carbonization time of 1 h. This obtained PPPC possessed abundant macro-,meso-, and micro-porous structures, and a large specific surface area of 939.4 m² g^-1. Surprisingly, it had excellent adsorption ability for methylene blue, including a high adsorption capacity of 602.4 mg g^-1 and good reusability. The adsorption isotherm and kinetic fitted with Langmuir and pseudo-second order kinetic models. This work provides a novel strategy for pomelo peel waste utilization and a potential adsorbent for treating dye wastewater.

Recyclable polyurethane foam loaded with carboxymethyl chitosan for adsorption of methylene blue

Novel composite foam (CMCTS-PUF-s) was prepared by immobilizing carboxymethyl chitosan (CMCTS) on polyurethane foam (PUF) in which amino groups in CMCTS reacted with isocyanate groups in polyurethane prepolymer. The adsorption capacity of the optimal composite foam (CMCTS-PUF-5) reached to 118.2 mg/g with 5% CMCTS loading. The removal rate to methylene blue (MB) was up to 97.1%, which was obviously higher than 18.9% of PUF. After recycling for five times, the removal rate still reached 83.2%, which strongly proved the excellent reusability of immobilizing CMCTS modified PUF. The characterization results of FTIR and TG showed that CMCTS was well loaded on PUF by covalent bond. The Young's modulus and tensile strength of CMCTS-PUF-5 were increased by 252% and 97% compared with that of PUF. MIP characterization result showed the porosity of CMCTS-PUF-5 was 73.99% and the pore sizes were mainly distributed between 50 and 150 µm, which provide sufficient diffusion channels and active sites for MB dyes. The adsorption kinetics and isotherm proved pseudo-second-order kinetic model and Langmuir isotherm model could well describe the adsorption process of CMCTS-PUF-5. Therefore, CMCTS-PUF-s presents excellent recoverability, high stability and attractive adsorption efficiency, shows the potential application in future treatment of dye wastewater.

Gram-scale synthesis of electrochemically oxygenated graphene nanosheets for removal of methylene blue from aqueous solution

In this study, oxygenated graphene nanosheets (OGNs) were successfully synthesized using a simple electrochemical exfoliation approach and applied to remove methylene blue (MB) in an aqueous solution. The surface morphology and structure of the OGNs were characterized by scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, Raman, and x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. The adsorption performance of OGNs towards aqueous MB was tested by batch experiments. Results showed that a large number of functional groups in OGNs enhanced the removal of MB from the aqueous solution due to the electrostatic interactions between the electrochemically oxygenated groups (e.g. C-OH, C-O, and C=O) and dye molecules. Using Langmuir adsorption isotherm, the maximum MB adsorption capacity (q _max) was determined as high as 476.19 mg g^-1. These results suggested that the as-prepared OGNs is an effective and promising adsorbent for removing MB, which could be studied extensively for color removal in wastewater treatment.

Fluorine and nitrogen functionalized magnetic graphene as a novel adsorbent for extraction of perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances from water and functional beverages followed by HPLC-Orbitrap HRMS determination

Most of the reported magnetic adsorbents are difficult to absorb multi-class of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs), especially the short-chain PFASs. In this work, a novel fluorine and nitrogen functionalized magnetic graphene (G-NH-FBC/Fe₂O₃) was first synthesized and characterized by scanning electron microscope (SEM), Fourier Transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), X-ray diffraction (XRD) and vibrating sample magnetometer (VSM). The as-prepared G-NH-FBC/Fe₂O₃ was utilized as adsorbents for the magnetic solid-phase extraction (MSPE) of 19 PFASs from water and functional beverages and showed excellent adsorption capacity probably due to the hydrophobic interaction. Under the optimal pretreatment and instrumental conditions, a selective and sensitive high performance liquid chromatography Orbitrap high resolution mass spectrometry (HPLC-Orbitrap HRMS) method was developed for the determination of PFASs. Results indicated that the proposed method had favorable linearity (R² ≥ 0.994) within a wide range of concentrations. Limit of detection (LOD) and limit of quantification (LOQ) for the developed method ranged from 3 ng/L to 15 ng/L and 10 ng/L to 49 ng/L, respectively. Finally, the method was successfully applied to determine PFASs in drinking water, river water, tap water, factory drainage and functional beverages with recoveries ranging from 71.9% to 117.6% and relative standard deviation of <10%. The prepared G-NH-FBC/Fe₂O₃ was easy to recycle and could be reused for five times without significant decrease in extraction recoveries of PFASs. These results demonstrated that this novel magnetic G-NH-FBC/Fe₂O₃ could efficiently enrich PFASs and the proposed method is reliable and robust for the determination of PFASs in water and beverage samples.

Facile Synthesis of High Performance Iron Oxide/Carbon Nanocatalysts Derived from the Calcination of Ferrocenium for the Decomposition of Methylene Blue

Iron oxide/carbon nanocatalysts were successfully synthesized by the calcination of ferrocenium at high temperatures ranging from 500 to 900 °C. Then the synthesized nanocomposites were characterized by XRD (X-Ray Diffraction), TEM (Transmission Electron Microscopy), VSM (Vibrating-Sample Magnetometry), BET (Brunauer-Emmett-Teller surface area measurements), TGA (Thermogravimetric Analysis), XPS (X-Ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy), EPR (Electron Paramagnetic Resonance), and CHN elemental analysis. The prepared nanocatalysts were applied for the decomposition of methylene blue as a model in wastewater treatment. It was unexpected to discover that the prepared nanocatalysts were highly active for the reaction with methylene blue in the dark even though no excess of hydrogen peroxide was added. The nanocatalyst calcined at 800 °C exhibited the rod shape with the best catalytic activity. The nanocatalysts could be reused for 12 times without the significant loss of the catalytic activity.

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.

Ginger Straw Waste-Derived Porous Carbons as Effective Adsorbents toward Methylene Blue

In this work, ginger straw waste-derived porous carbons, with high adsorption capacity, high adsorption rate, and good reusability for removing the toxic dye of methylene blue from wastewater, were prepared by a facile method under oxygen-limiting conditions. This study opens a new approach for the utilization of ginger straw waste, and the porous materials can be employed as great potential adsorbents for treating dye wastewater.

Preparation of reduced graphene oxide nanosheet/FexOy/nitrogen-doped carbon layer aerogel as photo-Fenton catalyst with enhanced degradation activity and reusability

In this manuscript, a novel reduced graphene oxide nanosheet/Fe_xO_y/nitrogen-doped carbon layer (rGS/Fe_xO_y/NCL) aerogel with Fe_xO_y NPs sandwiched between rGS and NCL was prepared via a two-step method. Their catalytic performance was evaluated in a photo-Fenton degradation of rhodamine B. It was found that rGS/Fe_xO_y/NCL aerogel represented higher degradation activity than the sum of rGS/NCL support and Fe_xO_y NPs, suggesting synergistic effect was established between support and reactive species. The degradation activity was investigated on the basis of aerogel usage, Fe_xO_y loading, H₂O₂ dosage, pH value and RhB concentration. To test stability and reusability, leaching experiments, cyclic experiments and structural analysis were carried out. Based on inhibitor experiment and intermediate detection, a possible catalytic mechanism and degradation pathway of RhB were proposed.

Self-assembled three-dimensional double network graphene oxide/polyacrylic acid hybrid aerogel for removal of Cu2+ from aqueous solution

Three-dimensional (3D) double network graphene oxide/polyacrylic acid (GO/PAA) hybrid aerogels were fabricated under mild conditions from the mixture of GO and acrylic acid (AA) monomers using a one-pot in situ solution polymerization process which included the polymerization of AA and the self-assembly of functional GO sheets. The PAA chains served as not only binder to assemble GO sheets into 3D framework but also modifier to provide more active functional groups. The adsorbents based on such material exhibited superior adsorption performance towards Cu²⁺ ions in aqueous media due to rich mesopores, high specific surface area, and abundant active sites. This work brings a new vision for assembling 3D porous graphene-based nanomaterials as adsorbents in environmental protection.

Three-dimensional graphene-based adsorbents in sewage disposal: a review

A kind of graphene functional materials based on three-dimensional (3D) porous structure is a new star for environmental application in the past decades because it not only inherits the perfect carbon crystal structure of two-dimensional (2D) graphene sheets but also exhibits several advantages such as extremely low density, high porosity, and big surface area, all which enable diverse contaminants to easily access and diffuse into 3D networks, and make these materials ideal adsorbents with superior adsorptivity and recyclability. This review aims to summarize the recent progress in constructing 3D graphene-based adsorbents (3DGBAs) with two hybrid systems such as graphene/polymers and graphene/inorganic nanomaterials, and to provide a fundamental understanding of synthetic methods for interconnecting these nanostructures, structure-property relationships, and extensive applications in environmental protection towards adsorption of heavy metals, dyes, oils, and organic pollutants. Furthermore, we make a forecast on the future development opportunities and technical challenges, which is hoped to make an inspiration for the researchers to exploit a new family of graphene-based adsorption materials. Graphical abstract ᅟ.

In situ co-precipitation preparation of a superparamagnetic graphene oxide/Fe3O4 nanocomposite as an adsorbent for wastewater purification: synthesis, characterization, kinetics, and isotherm studies

A superparamagnetic graphene oxide (GO)/Fe₃O₄ nanocomposite (MGO) was prepared by a facile in situ co-precipitation strategy, resulting in a prospective material for the application of graphene oxide in wastewater treatment. MGO was characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), x-ray diffraction (XRD), and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). The prepared adsorbent showed a high adsorption efficiency relevant to the purification of dye-contaminated wastewater and could be readily magnetically separated. The maximum adsorption capacity was ca. 546.45 mg g^-1 for the common cationic dye methylene blue (MB) and ca. 628.93 mg g^-1 for the anionic dye Congo red (CR). The adsorption processes fit the pseudo-second-order kinetic model well, which revealed that these processes may involve the chemical interaction between adsorbate and adsorbent. The thermodynamic parameters indicated that the adsorption reaction was an endothermic and spontaneous process. Furthermore, the prepared magnetic adsorbent had a wide effective pH range from 5 to 11 and showed good stability after five reuse cycles. The synthetic MGO showed great potential as a promising adsorbent for organic contaminant removal in wastewater treatment.

Synthesis and characterization of a series of novel perovskite-type LaMnO3/Keggin-type polyoxometalate hybrid nanomaterials for fast and selective removal of cationic dyes from aqueous solutions

In this paper, Keggin-type heteropoly acids H₃PMo₁₂O₄₀ (PMo₁₂), H₃PW₁₂O₄₀ (PW₁₂) and H₄SiW₁₂O₄₀ (SiW₁₂) were successfully supported on silica-coated perovskite type LaMnO₃ nanoparticles by a simple acid-base reaction. These novel hybrid nanomaterials (denoted as LaMnO₃@SiO₂/PMo₁₂ (1), LaMnO₃@SiO₂/PW₁₂ (2), and LaMnO₃@SiO₂/SiW₁₂ (3)) were characterized by means of FT-IR, PXRD, inductively coupled plasma (ICP) spectrometry, SEM, EDX, TEM and BET surface area analysis. Furthermore, the adsorption abilities of 1-3 were tested towards cationic methylene blue (MB) and anionic methyl orange (MO) dyes. The results revealed that the MB dye can be removed almost completely (≥98%) by adsorbents 1-3 in 1, 30 and 0.5 minutes, respectively. For the most efficient adsorbent 3, the effects of the initial concentration and the initial pH values of MB solution on its adsorption ability were examined. Furthermore, the selective adsorption of the hybrid materials towards mixed MB & MO solution was investigated. The nanomaterials 1-3 could be easily separated from the aqueous solution and reused several times without any impact on their adsorption abilities and structures.

Fabrication of carbon nanospheres by the pyrolysis of polyacrylonitrile-poly(methyl methacrylate) core-shell composite nanoparticles

Carbon nanospheres with a high Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET) specific surface area were fabricated via the pyrolysis of polyacrylonitrile-poly(methyl methacrylate) (PAN-PMMA) core-shell nanoparticles. Firstly, PAN-PMMA nanoparticles at high concentration and low surfactant content were controllably synthesized by a two-stage azobisisobutyronitrile (AIBN)-initiated semicontinuous emulsion polymerization. The carbon nanospheres were obtained after the PAN core domain was converted into carbon and the PMMA shell was sacrificed via the subsequent heat treatment steps. The thickness of the PMMA shell can be easily adjusted by changing the feeding volume ratio (FVR) of methyl methacrylate (MMA) to acrylonitrile (AN). At an FVR of 1.6, the coarse PAN cores were completely buried in the PMMA shells, and the surface of the obtained PAN-PMMA nanoparticles became smooth. The thick PMMA shell can inhibit the adhesion between carbon nanospheres caused by cyclization reactions during heat treatment. The carbon nanospheres with a diameter of 35-65 nm and a high BET specific surface area of 612.8 m²/g were obtained from the PAN-PMMA nanoparticles synthesized at an FVR of 1.6. The carbon nanospheres exhibited a large adsorption capacity of 190.0 mg/g for methylene blue, thus making them excellent adsorbents for the removal of organic pollutants from water.

Citrus Pectin-Derived Carbon Microspheres with Superior Adsorption Ability for Methylene Blue

In this study, citrus pectin-derived, green, and tunable carbon microspheres with superior adsorption capacity and high adsorption rate, as well as good reusability toward methylene blue adsorption, were prepared by a facile hydrothermal method without any hazardous chemicals. The materials hold great potential for the treatment of methylene blue wastewater.

Light/magnetic hyperthermia triggered drug released from multi-functional thermo-sensitive magnetoliposomes for precise cancer synergetic theranostics

Precise delivery of antineoplastic drugs to specific tumor region has drawn much attention in recent years. Herein, a light/magnetic hyperthermia triggered drug delivery with multiple functionality is designed based on methotrexate (MTX) modified thermo-sensitive magnetoliposomes (MTX-MagTSLs). In this system, MTX and oleic acid modified magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs) can be applied in biological and magnetic targeting. Meanwhile, lipophilic fluorescent dye Cy5.5 and MNPs are encapsulated into the bilayer of liposomes, which can not only achieve dual-imaging effect to verify the MTX-MagTSLs accumulation in tumor region, but also provide an appropriate laser irradiation region to release Doxorubicin (Dox) under alternating magnetic field (AMF). Both in vitro and in vivo results revealed that MTX-MagTSLs possessed an excellent targeting ability towards HeLa cells and HeLa tumor-bearing mice. Furthermore, the heating effect of MTX-MagTSLs was amplified 4.2-fold upon combination with AMF and local precise near-infrared laser irradiation (808nm) (DUAL-mode) to rapidly reach the phase change temperature (Tm) of MTX-MagTSLs in 5min compared with either AMF or laser stimulation alone, resulting in a significantly enhanced release of Dox at tumor region and precise cancer synergetic theranostics.

Solvothermal synthesis of magnetic CoFe2O4/rGO nanocomposites for highly efficient dye removal in wastewater

Magnetic CoFe₂O₄/rGO nanocomposites were fabricated via a solvothermal process and used as environmentally-friendly adsorbents for the adsorption of organic dyes.

Preparation of raspberry-like γ-Fe2O3/crackled nitrogen-doped carbon capsules and their application as supports to improve catalytic activity

In this manuscript, we have introduced a novel method to improve the catalytic activity of metal nanoparticles via optimizing the support structure. To this end, raspberry-like γ-Fe₂O₃/crackled nitrogen-doped carbon (CNC) capsules were prepared by a two-step method. Compared with traditional magnetic capsules, in γ-Fe₂O₃/CNC capsules, the γ-Fe₂O₃ nanoparticles were embedded in a CNC shell; therefore, they neither occupied the anchoring sites for metal nanoparticles nor came into contact with them, which was beneficial for increasing the metal nanoparticle loading. Numerous tiny cracks appeared on the porous CNC shell, which effectively improved the mass diffusion and transport in catalytic reactions. Additionally, the coordination interaction could be generated between the precursor metal ions and doped-nitrogen atoms in the capsule shell. With the help of these structural merits, γ-Fe₂O₃/CNC capsules were ideal supports for Pd nanoparticles, because they were beneficial for improving the Pd loading, reducing the nanoparticle size, increasing their dispersity and maximizing the catalytic performance of Pd nanoparticles anchored on the inner shell surface. As expected, γ-Fe₂O₃/CNC@Pd catalysts exhibited a dramatically enhanced catalytic activity towards hydrophilic 4-nitrophenol and hydrophobic nitrobenzene. The reaction rate constant k was compared with recent work and the corresponding reference samples. Moreover, they could be easily recycled by using a magnet and reused without an obvious loss of catalytic activity.