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Zinc oxide – mesoporous silica nanocomposite: preparation, characterisation and application in water treatment for lead, cadmium and chromium removal

Saod, Wahran M.; Oliver, Ian W.; Thompson, David F.; Contini, Alessandro; Zholobenko, Vladimir

Authors

Wahran M. Saod

David F. Thompson

Alessandro Contini

Vladimir Zholobenko



Abstract

Applications of nanomaterials in water and wastewater treatment and in environmental clean-up operations depend on the adsorption capacity of the materials for contaminants such as potentially toxic elements (PTEs). However, on their own nanoparticles can lose effectiveness as contaminant sorbents because of flocculation and aggregation. Embedding nanoparticles within a silica matrix offers one potential solution to the problem; hence, in this study, zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnO-NP) were embedded in a mesoporous silica (MCM-41) matrix to create a composite material with potential for contaminants removal from water. The composite material (ZnO-mSiO2) and original ZnO-NP were characterised via UV-Vis, FTIR, XRD, TGA/DTA, BET, and SEM techniques, and were then evaluated for their capacities to remove cadmium (Cd), chromium (Cr) and lead (Pb) from water samples across varying conditions (pH, initial contaminant concentration, contact time and adsorbent mass: solution volume ratios). Langmuir and Freundlich adsorption isotherms were fit to the data to describe the adsorption observed. The ZnO-mSiO2 composite material proved highly effective at removing the PTEs (particularly Pb) across a wide range of conditions, with optimum removal rates achieved at pH 7 and above and 90 minutes contact time.

Citation

Saod, W. M., Oliver, I. W., Thompson, D. F., Contini, A., & Zholobenko, V. (in press). Zinc oxide – mesoporous silica nanocomposite: preparation, characterisation and application in water treatment for lead, cadmium and chromium removal. International Journal of Environmental Analytical Chemistry, 1-13. https://doi.org/10.1080/03067319.2023.2246016

Journal Article Type Article
Acceptance Date Aug 3, 2023
Online Publication Date Aug 17, 2023
Deposit Date Sep 7, 2023
Journal International Journal of Environmental Analytical Chemistry
Print ISSN 0306-7319
Publisher Taylor and Francis
Peer Reviewed Peer Reviewed
Pages 1-13
DOI https://doi.org/10.1080/03067319.2023.2246016
Keywords Health, Toxicology and Mutagenesis, Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health, Pollution, Soil Science, Waste Management and Disposal, Water Science and Technology, Environmental Chemistry, Analytical Chemistry, Nanocomposite material, ZnOMCM-4