Ceria-Coated Magnetite Nanoparticles for As(V) Removal from Water

Arsenic’s presence in water sources is a serious health hazard. Numerous surface-modifications of magnetite particles were reported to enhance As(V) adsorption efficiency with limited success. In this study, ceria-coated magnetite particles were synthesised through co-precipitation. The nanoparticles were subsequently characterised by XRD and VSM. The obtained XRD peaks were ascribed to magnetite with ceria peaks for the coated particles. VSM analysis indicated superparamagnetism characteristic of the particles at room temperature. ICP-OES analysis of several samples indicated high removal percentages (> 90%) of As(V). The results of this study thus demonstrate the immense potential of the ceria-coated magnetite nanoparticles for As(V) removal.