Preparation and investigation of M-MWCNT nanocomposite by hydrothermal method for Pb(II) ions adsorption

Authors

• Mojtaba Zabihi ¹
• Alireza Motavalizadehkakhky * ^{2, 3}
• Maryam Omidvar ⁴
• Rahele Zhiani ^{2, 5}
• Seyed Mohammad Mahdi Nouri ⁶
• Hamid Heydarzadeh Darzi ⁶

1. Department of Chemical Engineering, Neyshabur Branch, Islamic Azad University, Neyshabur, Iran.
2. Department of Chemistry, Neyshabur Branch, Islamic Azad University, Neyshabur, Iran.
3. Avdanced Research Center of Chemistry Biochemistry & Nanomaterial, Neyshabur Branch, Islamic Azad University, Neyshabur, Iran.
4. Department of Chemical Engineering, Quchan Branch, Islamic Azad University, Quchan, Iran.
5. New Materials Technology and Processing Research Center, Department of Chemistry, Neyshabur Branch,Islamic Azad University, Neyshabur, Iran.
6. Chemical Engineering Department, Hakim Sabzevari University, Sabzevar, Iran.

Abstract

In this present work, MWCNTs modified NiFe₂O₄ NPs (M-MWCNT) were successfully fabricated based on a hydrothermal route, and then utilized to Pb(II) sorption from an aqueous solution. The M-MWCNT was characterized and analyzed by SEM, TEM, FTIR, XRD, and VSM techniques. TEM image demonstrated that the size of NiFe₂O₄ nanoparticles in the structure of MWCNT was 20 nm. VSM results indicated that the M-MWCNT with saturation magnetization (Ms) value of  7 emu/g would have a fast magnetic response. According to X-ray data the average crystal sizes of the pure NiFe₂O₄ and M-MWCNT are 21.62 and 7.25 nm, respectively. The sorption kinetics, isotherms, thermodynamic and regeneration performance for lead ((Pb(II)) ions were evaluated. The M-MWCNT can effectively remove Pb(II) from aqueous solution at optimum pH of 5.5. Based on the Langmuir model, the maximum saturated adsorbed amount (q_max) of Pb(II) was up to 85.12 mg/g. The kinetic characteristic was appropriate for pseudo 1^st order model expression, and the isothermal characteristic can be described via Longmuir model. The data obtained from the thermodynamic study show that the Pb(II) sorption using M-MWCNT nanocomposite was a spontaneous, exothermic and physisorption process with a good regeneration performance.

Graphical Abstract

Keywords

• NiFe2O4NPs
• Lead (II) sorption
• Qmax.
• MWCNT
• Nanocomposite

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