Preparation of nZVI/MCM-41/rGO for Adsorption of Nickel Ions from Water

Emissions of nickel (Ni) are harmful to the environment and people's health. Although nano zero-valent iron (nZVI) has a lot of potential for treating water pollution, its instability and tendency for aggregation have limited its application. In order to improve its properties, composite adsorbent MCM-41/rGO supported nZVI (nZVI/MCM-41/rGO) is designed for improving the properties of nZVI, and it is characterized by SEM, XRD, FTIR and BET. The results show that it has an apparent Fe-(0) crystallinity and modest rGO crystallinity, as well as a rough and porous structure. There are many oxygen-containing groups found on the surface of nZVI/MCM-41/rGO, such as -OH, -COOH, and Si-O. The pore diameter is concentrated at 23.82 nm, and the specific surface area is 15.94 cm(2)/g. The consequences of several parameters such as contact time, initial metal ion concentration, adsorbent dosage, and pH for adsorption efficiency were investigated. The best performance is occurred at pH 6, C-0=80 mg/L with a 2 g/L adsorbent dosage, and after 180 min, a maximum adsorption capacity of 41.82 mg/g is reached at 333 K. The Dubinin-Radushkevich isotherm and second order kinetic models fit the Ni(II) adsorption process well. It is determined through analysis of the thermodynamic parameters that the adsorption progress is endothermic (Delta H-0>0) and spontaneous (Delta G(0)<0). nZVI/MCM-41/rGO has proven to be an effective and alternative material for the removal of Ni(II) ions from aqueous media due to its excellent removal ability, availability, and low cost.