Chromium removal from aqueous solutions via spontaneous adsorption using hybrid nanocomposites based on zinc-magnesium ferrite spinel anchored in polypyrrole
摘要
The presence of hexavalent chromium ions (Cr (VI)) in water, even at low concentrations, has been identified as a significant environmental and human health concern. The objective of our study is to develop readily accessible and environmentally sustainable disposal strategies based on a novel polypyrrole-anchored zinc-magnesium ferrite spinel (Zn0.3Mg0.7Fe2O4) oxide nanocomposite (Zn0.3Mg0.7Fe2O4@PPy) for the effective removal of Cr (VI). Zn0.3Mg0.7Fe2O4@PPy was synthesized by oxidative polymerization and subsequently characterized through infrared spectroscopy (IR), X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS). Zn0.3Mg0.7Fe2O4@PPy demonstrated an exceptionally high Cr (VI) removal capacity after 90 min, with a removal capacity of 121.8 mg.g−1 at pH 2 and a percentage adsorption of 97% at an initial experimental Cr (VI) content of 75 mg.L−1 at 25 °C. The Freundlich model was used to define the adsorption isotherm, while the pseudo-second-order model was employed to describe the adsorption kinetics. Furthermore, the thermodynamic study demonstrated that the adsorption process is endothermic and spontaneous. Analyses conducted using UV-visible and infrared techniques have shown that the mechanism underlying the removal of Cr (VI) is based on reducing Cr (VI) to Cr (III), followed by ion exchange, electrostatic interaction, and surface complexation. The present study reveals that Zn0.3Mg0.7Fe2O4@PPy can be used as a novel adsorbent model for the remediation of water-containing chromic ions in the presence of other interfering substances.
Graphical abstract