Enhanced removal performance for methylene blue by kaolin with graphene oxide modification

A study on the role of surface functional groups of metakaolin in the removal of methylene blue: Characterization, kinetics, modeling and RSM optimization

In this study, thermally activated kaolinite clay is explored as a suitable material for dye removal applications, which gave rise to highly reactive silica species in a broad range of aluminosilicate clusters. Multinuclear NMR studies described it as a short-range network in which Al sites in IV, V, and VI are coordinated, and Si is present mainly as Si(Q4(1Al)). Critical parameters for methylene blue (MB) were determined by the Placket Burman Design (PBD) as initial dye concentration, contact time, adsorbent dosage, pH and size. The % of MB removal studied after optimizing the parameters by central composite design (CCD), based on Response Surface Methodology, was found to be 90%. The adsorption kinetics and thermodynamics were systematically studied and reported by fitting them into different models. The maximum removal of the dye reached 97.8 mg/g according to the Freundlich isotherm, accomplished through chemisorption, following a pseudo-second-order reaction and the process is thermodynamically spontaneous and endothermic. The line spectrum of X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) shows the participation of Si, Al, O, Ca and Na of Metakaolin (AK) and nitrogen of MB in the adsorption process. The appropriate stabilization of the N atom of the chromophore on the Si and Al atom in AK resulting from the ionic interaction on the surface is established from an increase in the binding energy of Al and Si. A single bridging oxygen signal at 532.32eVcorresponding to AK after dye adsorption tends to form siloanol/aluminol, and their interaction is lowered to 531.58eV. Regeneration of adsorbent after thermal treatment without loss of efficiency proved.

Preparation and Characterization of Modified Kaolin by a Mechanochemical Method

A mechanochemical approach was utilized to prepare modified kaolin, and the hydrophobic modification of kaolin was realized. The study aims to investigate the changes in particle size, specific surface area, dispersion ability, and adsorption performance of kaolin. The structure of kaolin was analyzed using infrared spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, and X-ray diffraction, and the alterations to the kaolin microstructure were thoroughly researched and discussed. The results demonstrated that this modification method can effectively improve the dispersion and adsorption capacities of kaolin. Mechanochemical modification can increase the specific surface area of kaolin particles, reduce their particle size, and improve their agglomeration behavior. The layered structure of the kaolin was partially destroyed, the degree of order was debased, and the activity of its particles was enhanced. Furthermore, organic compounds were adsorbed on the surface of the particles. The appearance of new infrared peaks in the modified kaolin's infrared spectrum suggested that the kaolin has undergone a chemical modification process, introducing new functional groups.

Synthesis and characterization of a novel composite of rice husk-derived graphene oxide with titania microspheres (GO-RH/TiO2) for effective treatment of cationic dye methylene blue in aqueous solutions

Graphene oxide (GO) was synthesized utilizing rice husk (RH) as the starting raw material via a modified Hummers' method. Ground pencil leads were used as a control powder of the starting raw material to monitor the consistency of the synthesis method. TiO₂ microspheres were synthesized via a precipitated method using the pluronic F127 solution as the pore template. GO derived from RH (GO-RH) was composited with TiO₂ microspheres as GO-RH/TiO₂ composites by an impregnation method with weight ratios of 3:1, 2:2, and 1:3. Characterized results revealed GO-RH formed a ternary phase material of graphene oxide, graphite oxide, and silica. A typical microstructure of the calcined TiO₂ microspheres was found as the agglomerated anatase nanoparticles. Furthermore, the composites belong to large surface areas and numerous oxygen-containing functionalities on their surfaces. Removal efficiencies of cationic dye methylene blue (MB) from aqueous solutions by the composites, GO-RH and TiO₂, were studied under UV illumination for 180 min. Due to the effective combination of adsorption and photodegradation for the MB removal, the composites provided the higher efficiencies (99-100%) faster than those of GO-RH and TiO₂ and could be reused at least 4 times. Finally, a mechanism of the MB removal by the composites was proposed.

Nano-remediation technologies for the sustainable mitigation of persistent organic pollutants

The absence of novel and efficient methods for the elimination of persistent organic pollutants (POPs) from the environment is a serious concern in the society. The pollutants release into the atmosphere by means of industrialization and urbanization is a massive global hazard. Although, the eco-toxicity associated with nanotechnology is still being debated, nano-remediation is a potentially developing tool for dealing with contamination of the environment, particularly POPs. Nano-remediation is a novel strategy to the safe and long-term removal of POPs. This detailed review article presents an important perspective on latest innovations and future views of nano-remediation methods used for environmental decontamination, like nano-photocatalysis and nanosensing. Different kinds of nanomaterials including nanoscale zero-valent iron (nZVI), carbon nanotubes (CNTs), magnetic and metallic nanoparticles, silica (SiO₂) nanoparticles, graphene oxide, covalent organic frameworks (COFs), and metal organic frameworks (MOFs) have been summarized for the mitigation of POPs. Furthermore, the long-term viability of nano-remediation strategies for dealing with legacy contamination was considered, with a particular emphasis on environmental and health implications. The assessment goes on to discuss the environmental consequences of nanotechnology and offers consensual recommendations on how to employ nanotechnology for a greater present and a more prosperous future.

Kaolin-graphene carboxyl incorporated TiO2 as efficient visible light active photocatalyst for the degradation of cefuroxime sodium

A novel solar light active photocatalyst, TiO₂/kaolin-graphene carboxyl nanocomposite was synthesized by hydrothermal method for the degradation of cephalosporin antibiotic, cefuroxime sodium. The synthesized photocatalyst was characterized by various analytical and spectroscopic techniques, including Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), powder X-ray diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy dispersive X-ray analysis (EDX) thermogravimetry (TG), UV-Vis diffuse reflectance spectroscopy (DRS) and photoluminescence (PL). The prepared TiO₂/kaolin-graphene carboxyl nanocomposite exhibited efficient photocatalytic degradation of methylene blue (MB) upon illumination with the solar simulator as compared to unmodified TiO₂. The incorporation of both kaolin and graphene carboxyl was found to immobilize TiO₂, enhancing the visible light absorption range of TiO₂. Scavenger study revealed that hydroxyl radicals act as the main active species in the photocatalytic degradation process. The hydroxyl group present on kaolin surface reacts with photo-generated holes to increase the amount of hydroxyl radical, and further the graphene carboxyl plays a role to impede the recombination of photo-generated electron-hole pairs. Furthermore, the synthesized photocatalyst was found to degrade cefuroxime sodium within 90 min of sunlight illumination, indicating that TiO₂/kaolin-graphene carboxyl nanocomposites would be very beneficial for pharmaceutical waste management through the advanced oxidation process. Mass spectral analysis was also carried out for elucidating the photocatalytic degradation pathway of cefuroxime sodium.

Enhanced removal performance for Congo red by coal-series kaolin with acid treatment

In this study, acid treatment coal-series kaolin (AK) materials (named 2AK, 3AK, 5AK, 10AK) were synthesized by a facile method. Batch adsorption experiments were carried out using Congo red (CR) as a model dye pollutant in various experimental conditions. The samples were studied by XRF, XRD, FTIR, SEM, Zeta potential and N₂ adsorption techniques. The results indicate that the acid treatment materials exhibit increased specific surface area and pore structures, and showed obvious effects on the adsorption performance of kaolin. Owing to the structural edges of kaolin receiving protons from the hydrochloric acid aqueous solution, the prepared 5AK exhibited excellent adsorption performance for Congo red (CR) anionic dye. The adsorption process followed a pseudo-second-order rate model and the Langmuir isotherm was found a better fit with a maximum adsorption capacity of 237.53 mg/g, which is very close to the experimental data. Thermodynamic studies showed Congo red adsorption on samples was exothermic and spontaneous in nature. The acid treatment coal-series kaolin shows significant potential applications in the fields of adsorption, pH-responsive delivery and other environmental remediation.

Removal of Hg2+ with Polypyrrole-Functionalized Fe3O4/Kaolin: Synthesis, Performance and Optimization with Response Surface Methodology

PPy-Fe₃O₄/Kaolin was prepared with polypyrrole functionalized magnetic Kaolin by a simple, green, and low cost method to improve the agglomeration and low adsorption capacity of Kaolin. PPy-Fe₃O₄/Kaolin was employed to remove Hg²⁺ and the results were characterized by various methods. Relevant factors, including solution pH, dosage of adsorbent, concentration (C₀), and temperature (T), were optimized by Response Surface Methodology (RSM) and Central Composite Designs (CCD). The optimal results show that the importance for adsorption factors is pH > T > C₀ > dosage, and the optimal adsorption conditions of PPy-Fe₃O₄/Kaolin are pH = 7.2, T = 315 K, C₀ = 50 mg/L, dosage of 0.05 g/L, and the capacity is 317.1 mg/g. The adsorption process conforms to the pseudo-second-order and Langmuir models. Dubinin-Radushkevich model shows that adsorption process is spontaneous and endothermic. Moreover, the adsorption of mercury by PPy-Fe₃O₄/Kaolin was achieved mainly through electrostatic attraction, pore diffusion, and chelation between amino functional groups and Hg²⁺. PPy-Fe₃O₄/Kaolin has excellent reproducibility, dispersity, and chemical stability, and it is easy to be separated from solution through an external magnetic field. The experiments show that PPy-Fe₃O₄/Kaolin is an efficient and economical adsorbent towards mercury.

Optimization of Ni(II) adsorption onto Cloisite Na+ clay using response surface methodology

The aim of this study was to investigate the adsorption of Ni(II) from aqueous solutions onto Cloisite Na⁺ clay. The effects of the initial concentration of Ni(II), adsorbent dose, pH, and temperature on adsorption capacity were studied using response surface methodology. A second-order regression model was determined based on the experimental results. Analysis of variance used to evaluate the individual and combined effects of process variables showed that initial Ni(II) concentration and adsorbent dose were more significant than solution pH and temperature. Moreover, the interaction effects of the initial concentration of nickel and the adsorbent dose, as well as the solution pH and adsorbent dose were significant. High coefficient of determination (R² = 0.93) and low probability values signify the validity of the model for predicting the adsorption capacity of Cloisite Na⁺ for Ni(II) ions. The optimal conditions for pH and adsorbent dose were found to be 6.9 and 0.21 g/L, respectively at a constant temperature of 25 °C and initial Ni(II) concentration of 50 mg/L. Under these conditions, the adsorption capacity of clay was found to be 31.43 mg/g. Moreover, the adsorption isotherms results indicated that these data could be best fitted to the Langmuir isotherm model (R² = 0.99). The Langmuir maximum adsorption capacity was estimated to be 32.05 mg/g for an adsorbent dose of 0.2 g/L at pH 7 and 25 °C. In conclusion, the results showed that Cloisite Na⁺ clay can be utilized as an effective adsorbent for the removal of Ni(II) from aqueous solutions.

Enhanced immobilization of mercury (II) from desulphurization wastewater by EDTA functionalized graphene oxide nanoparticles

Graphene oxide (GO) is a new promising nanometer material in a superconductor and wastewater heavy metal ions removal for its functionalized groups. Ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid functionalized graphene oxide complexes (EDTA-GO) was produced by a realizable silanization chemical reaction. Characteristics of Hg(II) removal in desulphurization wastewater was also under investigation. The chemical composition and microstructures of the EDTA-GO adsorbents were characterized by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), Transmission electron microscope (TEM), Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) analyses. To investigate the performance of EDTA-GO adsorbents on adsorption of Hg(II) in wastewater of wet flue gas desulphurization (WFGD), experiments were performed to optimize the main influence factors such as reaction temperatures (35-70°C), pH values(2-13), contact time (0-120 min), initial Hg(II) concentrations(800 ug/L) and adsorbent doses (20-50 mg/L). The maximum uptake removal efficiency (97.14%) was achieved under the optimal conditions at the pH of 7, the temperature of 70°C, the Hg(II) concentration of 1200 μg/L and the EDTA-GO dose of 40 mg/L. The kinetic data fitting results were well consistent with the pseudo-second-order model (R²= 0.99997) and a spontaneous and endothermic adsorption reaction was elaborated by thermodynamics studies (ΔG < 0, ΔH > 0, ΔS > 0). The experiments of recycled adsorbents by HCl generation were carried out to obtain the performance of the reused EDTA-GO adsorbent, the fourth regenerative adsorption efficiency still maintained 80.4%, which indicated that excellent potential application in desulphurization wastewater treatment.

Design and Preparation of Chitosan-Crosslinked Bismuth Ferrite/Biochar Coupled Magnetic Material for Methylene Blue Removal

Biochar obtained by pyrolysis of the fiber plant kenaf was mixed with bismuth ferrite (BiFeO₃) in a chitosan-containing acetic acid solution, magnetized, and modified to prepare a chitosan-crosslinked BiFeO₃/biochar coupled magnetic material. The adsorption properties of the composite were investigated using methylene blue dissolved in water, and the effects of external conditions, such as pH, methylene blue concentration, reaction time, and temperature, on the adsorption performance were studied. The adsorption data were fitted and analyzed with kinetic and isotherm models, and the results showed that the BiFeO₃/biochar coupled magnetic material effectively adsorbed methylene blue. The amounts adsorbed onto this magnetic material increased with increasing initial methylene blue concentration, reaction time, and temperature, and the adsorption performance improved under neutral and alkaline conditions. The pseudo-first-order kinetic and Langmuir isotherm models satisfactorily fitted the adsorption data, showing that the adsorption of methylene blue involved both chemical and physical adsorption. The maximum adsorption capacity of methylene blue onto the BiFeO₃/biochar coupled magnetic material reached 18.942 mg·g⁻¹ at 25 °C, confirming the excellent dye binding activity of this material.

Liquid-Phase Exfoliation of Kaolinite by High-Shear Mixer with Graphite Oxide as an Amphiphilic Dispersant

In this study, a simple, effective, and versatile method was used for the exfoliation of kaolinite by high-shear mixer with graphite oxide as an an amphiphilic dispersant. During the liquid-phase exfoliation process, the co-exfoliation of kaolinite and graphite oxide was realized. Compared with the directly exfoliated kaolinite, when 5% graphite oxide was added to facilitate exfoliation, 95% of the obtained nanosheets were distributed between 0.1 and 0.7 μm, in which the number of layers was less than 5, and part of them were curled into nanoscrolls structure with a length of 0.2-0.9 μm. The Brunauer-Emmett-Teller surface area of the graphite oxide assisted exfoliated kaolinite was 2.1 times that of the directly exfoliated kaolinite. Meanwhile, the graphite oxide assisted exfoliated kaolinite exhibited excellent adsorption properties for MB, whose theoretical maximum adsorption capacity was 250 mg/g, significantly higher than that of the directly exfoliated kaolinite, which was about 111 mg/g. It has been verified that the exfoliation method is efficient and facile and can be applied extensively.

Fabrication of ploydopamine-kaolin supported Ag nanoparticles as effective catalyst for rapid dye decoloration

In this work, silver nanoparticles supported on polydopamine-kaolin composite (PDA-kaolin-Ag) was fabricated by an in-situ reduction method with PDA as both reductant and stabilizer. The morphology, composition, and structure of PDA-kaolin-Ag composite were characterized by transmission electron microscopy (TEM), X-ray powder diffraction (XRD), and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). The catalytic reduction tests confirmed the importance of PDA modification and high catalytic activities of this as-prepared PDA-kaolin-Ag composite towards a model dye Rhodamine B. The catalytic reduction processes followed pseudo-first order kinetics. Meanwhile, this catalyst showed excellent stability and recyclability for dye decoloration. Furthermore, this composite also exhibited good catalytic performance on methylene blue, methyl orange, and Congo red. These results suggest that PDA-kaolin-Ag composites can be used as efficient and cost-effective catalyst for the decoloration of various organic dyes.