Activated charcoal-magnetic nanocomposite for remediation of simulated dye polluted wastewater

• Published in: Water science and technology Vol. 71; no. 9; pp. 1361 - 1366
• Main Authors: Ahmed, Md Juned K, Ahmaruzzaman, M
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England IWA Publishing 01.01.2015
• Subjects: Activated carbon; Activated charcoal; Adsorbents; Adsorption; Aqueous solutions; Capacity; Charcoal; Charcoal - chemistry; Chemical bonds; Chemical precipitation; Contamination; Desalination; Dispersions; Dyes; Electronegativity; Electropositivity; Electrostatic properties; Elution; Environmental Pollution; Fourier transforms; Functional groups; Hazardous materials; Infrared spectroscopy; Irradiation; Magnetic Phenomena; Magnetic separation; Magnetometers; Methanol; Methylene Blue; Nanocomposites; Nanocomposites - chemistry; Nanomaterials; Particle physics; Particle size; Particulate composites; Remediation; Specific surface; Transmission electron microscopy; Waste Water - chemistry; Wastewater; Wastewater pollution; Water Purification; Water treatment; United States > US
• ISSN: 0273-1223; 1996-9732
• DOI: 10.2166/wst.2015.082

Herein, we report a straightforward way to fabricate activated charcoal-magnetic nanocomposite (AC-MNC) by chemical precipitation for the sequestration of methylene blue (MB) from a simulated solution. The synthesised nanocomposite was characterised by Fourier transform infra-red (FTIR), Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET), transmission electron microscope (TEM) and vibrating sample magnetometer (VSM) techniques. A good uniformity in the spherical AC-MNC particles is observed from a TEM image with an average particle size diameter of around 25 nm. AC-MNC possesses a specific surface area of 387.28 m2 g(-1) with easy dispersibility and magnetic separation. The nanocomposite demonstrates an MB sequestration capacity of 147.71 mg g(-1). The high efficiency of the nanocomposite is rationalised on the basis of H-bonding and electrostatic interaction between the electropositive N-atom of MB and electronegative oxygen-containing functional groups on the composite surface. Moreover, the exhausted AC-MNC can be efficiently regenerated by microwave irradiation followed by elution with methanol. The renewed nanocomposite showed good reusability. Thus, the synthesised AC-MNC proved to be an interesting and potential material for the remediation of MB-contaminated aqueous solution.