Nanoscale zero-valent iron/silver@activated carbon-reduced graphene oxide: Efficient removal of trihalomethanes from drinking water

AC-supported nanoscale zero-valent iron composites (nZVI/AC) exhibit significant environmental implications for trihalomethanes (THMs)-contaminated water remediation. To improve the adsorption and degradation capability of AC, herein, a composite (nZVI/Ag@AC-RGO) consisting of AC, reduced graphene oxide (RGO), nanoscale zero-valent iron (nZVI), and silver (Ag) was synthesized and characterized using several techniques, such as scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), Raman spectroscopy, N-2 adsorption-desorption isotherms, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). The analysis of textural and morphological structures showed that a tightly-attached RGO film, amorphous iron, and weak crystal silver nanoparticles with a size of 20-30 nm were evenly immobilized on the support. Specific surface area increased by 19.12% after supporting RGO, while it decreased after supporting nZVI and Ag due to the partial blockage of micropores. The Fe surface was concurrently coated by iron oxides (Fe2O3, FeOOH) and Ag. THMs were eliminated through multilayer reaction processes. The values of the adsorption constant (KF) of chloroform (CHCl3), dichlorobromoethane (CHBrCl2), dibromochloroethane (CHBr2Cl), and tribromomethane (CHBr3) adsorbed by nZVI/Ag@AC-RGO increased by 34.4, 33.7, 81.6, and 67.3%, respectively, compared to pristine AC. THMs with more Br atoms exhibited better removal efficiency and adsorption capacity, along with a higher oxidation degree of the Fe surface. CHBrCl2 and CHBr2Cl mainly decomposed into chloromethane (CH3Cl) and dichloromethane (CH2Cl2), and CHBr3 and CHCl3 primarily degraded into dibromomethane (CH2Br2) and CH2Cl2, respectively, along with generating Cl- and Br-. Conclusively, THMs-contaminated water could be remediated by coupling AC pre-enrichment and the reactivity of nZVI/Ag.