Remediation of Direct Black G in wastewater using kaolin-supported bimetallic Fe/Ni nanoparticles

• Published in: Chemical engineering journal (Lausanne, Switzerland : 1996) Vol. 223; pp. 764 - 771
• Main Authors: Liu, Xinwen, Chen, Zhengxian, Chen, Zuliang, Megharaj, Mallavarapu, Naidu, Ravendra
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Elsevier B.V 01.05.2013
• Subjects: Characterization; Degradation; Direct Black G; Iron; Kaolin; Nanoparticles; Nickel; Reduction; Remediation; The functional K-Fe/Ni; Waste water; Characterization; Remediation; The functional K-Fe/Ni; Direct Black G
• ISSN: 1385-8947; 1873-3212
• DOI: 10.1016/j.cej.2013.03.002

•Synthesis of kaolin-supported bimetallic Fe/Ni (K-Fe/Ni) nanoparticles.•Removal of Direct Black G using K-Fe/Ni.•The functional K-Fe/Ni nanomaterial based on the adsorption and reduction.•The mechanism for the removal of Direct Black G. The functional kaolin-supported bimetallic Fe/Ni nanoparticles (K-Fe/Ni) were synthesized and applied in remediation of Direct Black G (DBG), where batch study showed that 99.97% of DBG was removed from aqueous solution using K-Fe/Ni, whereas only 95.89% and 13.34% were removed using Fe/Ni and kaolin, respectively. Kaolin-supported Fe/Ni led to decrease in aggregation of Fe/Ni nanoparticles, increase in adsorption of DBG onto the kaolin and enhanced reduction of DBG by Fe/Ni on K-Fe/Ni to form iron oxide, the functional K-Fe/Ni nanoparticles based on adsorption and reduction was confirmed by characterization using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and X-ray diffraction (XRD). UV–Vis spectra showed that the DBG was degraded by the break in azo linkages, and Fourier infrared spectra (FTIR) shows that new bands appeared which corresponded to NN after K-Fe/Ni reacted with DBG. Furthermore, kinetics studies showed that the degradation of DBG fitted well with the pseudo first-order model and the degradation pathways of DBG using K-Fe/Ni was proposed. Finally, K-Fe/Ni used for the degradation of DBG in wastewater was demonstrated as a potential technique for the remediation.