Reduced graphene oxide/spinel ferrite nanocomposite as an efficient adsorbent for the removal of Pb (II) from aqueous solution

In the present study, reduced graphene oxide (rGO) with manganese ferrite (MFG) exhibits better adsorption properties for the removal Pb (II) from polluted water than the pure manganese ferrite (MF). The adsorbents were synthesized by microwave-assisted method and characterized by X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), vibrating sample magnetometer, Brunauer–Emmett–Teller and Zeta potential analysis to assess the different properties such as crystallinity, surface area, magnetic behavior and pH of the adsorbents, respectively. SEM observations reveal the interaction between MF nanoparticles and graphene sheet that limit the agglomeration in the formation of spherical shaped particles. The ferromagnetic behavior provides an extra benefit in the reusability of the adsorbents. The adsorption kinetics and absorption capacity of rGO/MnFe2O4 (MFG) are compared with pure MF. The pH plays an important role to determine the performance of the adsorbents; at pH 5 a maximum adsorption capacity was observed of 86.36 mg g−1 and 186 mg g−1 for MF and MFG at pH 5 within 60 min. This study also reflects the significant influence of rGO on the formation of promising nanocomposites as effective adsorbents for the removal of heavy metal ions from the polluted water.