Elsevier

Powder Technology

Volume 344, 15 February 2019, Pages 719-729
Powder Technology

Green nanosilica@folic Acid (VB9) nanocomposite for engineered adsorptive water remediation of bivalent lead, cadmium and copper

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.powtec.2018.12.055Get rights and content

Highlights

  • Novel, efficient and eco-friendly immobilization of folic acid on nano-silica

  • Microwave assisted synthesis for nano-silica functionalization with VB9

  • The sorption process was accomplished via batch technique

  • Different isotherm models were used to identify the sorption behavior

  • Adsorptive removal of Pb(II), Cd(II) and Cu(II) from real water samples

Abstract

Folic acid (VB9) was used as an eco-friendly sequestering chemical compound to modify and develop a novel nanocomposite via surface immobilization and chemical bonding with nanosilica (Nano-SiO2) in the chloride form to generate Nano-SiO2@VB9. The synthesized materials were investigated and characterized by several means of SEM, HR-TEM, TGA, FT-IR, XRD and surface area determination. The tendency of Nano-SiO2@VB9 nanocomposite to extract and remove bivalent lead, cadmium and copper ions was studied and optimized under various variables including pH of contact medium, nanocomposite dose, contact time, effect of metal ion concentration and interfering cations-anions. The highest determined capacity values were 562.1, 973.8 and 152.1 mg g−1 for Cd(II), Pb(ІІ) and Cu(II), respectively. The optimum contact time for sorption of metal ions was identified as 25 min, while 10.0 mg of Nano-SiO2@VB9 nanocomposite was the optimum dosage to establish the maximum capacity values. The adsorbed ions were arranged in a multilayer surface and the equilibrium up-take of metal ions by Nano-SiO2@VB9 nanocomposite was favorably characterized by the Freundlich adsorption isotherm model. The potential applications of Nano-SiO2@VB9 for removal and preconcentration of Cu(II), Pb(II) and Cd(II) from real water samples using multistage microcolumn were also studied to confirm excellent percentage extraction values 94–100%, 100% and 57–81%, respectively.

Introduction

The toxicity and carcinogenic effects of heavy metals and organic hazardous materials are well known and documented for several decades and will continue to influence the human and environmental aspects for other decades as long as man continues in harming the aquatic and other environment [1,2]. Industrial activities including mining and burning fossil fuels also technological applications including steel production, electroplating and many others are contained [3]. Heavy metal ions including lead, cadmium and copper are of major interest as contaminates [4]. Since its discovery by Friedrich Stromeyerin 1817 [4], cadmium was then used as a pigment mainly in paints and also by metallurgists for coating metals in order to increase their corrosion resistance. Recently, it has been widely used in rechargeable batteries (Nisingle bondCd) batteries [5]. With respect to its toxicity, it appeared on the surface after the World-War-II in Japan when farmers and residents near Kamioka mine used the run-off water for irrigation of rice and after that locals experience bones and joints pain “Itai-Itai” disease as cadmium concentrated in the crops [6]. It has been also reported that cadmium can cause various diseases such as renal dysfunction, liver damage, lung insufficiency and hypertension [7].

Copper metal was first used as cookware, ornaments, and weapons by ancient Egyptian and was reported to cause liver cirrhosis, necrosis in kidneys and brain, gastrointestinal distress, lesions, low blood pressure, Wilson disease and fetal mortality if excess of it enter the body via eating acidic foods cooked in copper cookware or from exposure to excess copper in drinking water or other environmental and industrial sources [[8], [9], [10], [11], [12]]. Lead was widely used since Roman Empire for its unpretentious and easiness of extraction and purification. However, lead is considered of severe toxicity due to environmental piling up and high movability [13]. It is one of the reasons for acute health problems for individuals. It shows offensive effect for nearly all organs and systems in the body including nerve system, in addition to blood and brain [14,15]. Its intoxication is ordinarily a consequence of nourishment products or aquatic matrices contaminated with lead assimilation or by accidental intake of contaminated soil, dust, or lead based paint. Also long-term exposition to lead may cause fragility, high blood pressure, anemia, deterioration of brain and kidneys in adults or children [16].

Therefore, the wide spread of toxic heavy metal ions in the aquatic systems and environments is fact and therefore, an efficacious extraction and elimination procedure from diverse water samples were searched, performed and established.Green chemistry has been lately required and compelled by ecological authorization protection agencies [17]. The US-EPA, the European Union and many others motivated have encouraged researchers to discover and style greener chemicals out of traditional procedures and technologies. The discovery and styling greener nanosorbents or nanocomposites of mighty power for elimination of toxic metal ions is a great challenge for many aspects of environmental and pollution control [17].

Vitamin B9 (VB9) also known as folic acid is structurally consisting of pteroic and glutamic acid linked via an amide bond exhibits versatile ligation behaviors via the carboxylate group which can act as a mono, bi or bridging ligand binding to metal ion [[18], [19], [20]]. Several studies have been reported on the binding between folic acid and metals such as Cd(II), Pb(II), Cu(II), Zn(II), Fe(III), and Hg(II) [19,21]. So VB9 is of great tendency for binding with heavy metal ions and can be listed out as a green and ecofriendly chemical to the environment. Due to these facts, we directed our aim and attention in this work to bind via solvent free methodology surface modified chloro nanosilica with VB9 to produce a green Nano-SiO2@VB9 nanocomposite. The designed material is aimed to manipulate and enhance water decontamination from bivalent cadmium, lead and copper.

Section snippets

Instrumentations

Fourier transform-infrared (FT-IR) spectra for Nano-SiO2 and Nano-SiO2@VB9 were acquired from KBr pellets using a Perkin Elmer FT-IR. Thermal gravimetric analyses (TGA) were recorded by Perkin-Elmer TGA7 Thermobalance with heating range 25-900 °C and heating rate 20 °C. The surface morphology and modification process of nanosilica sorbents were acquired and imaged by scanning electron microscope (SEM) (JEOL Ltd.-JSM-5300). Also, high resolution-transmission electron microscopy (HR-TEM) model

Surface characterization

Various instrumental techniques were employed to study and evaluate the possible bonding of VB9 simultaneously to Nano-SiO2 including FT-IR, XRD, TGA, SEM, HR-TEM and surface area measurements.

The FT-IR spectra of Nano-SiO2 and the synthesized Nano-SiO2@VB9 nanocomposite are illustrated in Fig. 1. There are three distinctive absorption peaks at 471, 810 and 1102 cm−1 and these are fundamentally for Si-O-Si stretching, Sisingle bondO stretching and Sisingle bondO bending vibrations, respectively. Nano-SiO2 was

Conclusion

Nano-SiO2@VB9 nanocomposite was successfully synthesized via covalent immobilization of VB9 with chlorinated nanosilica (Nano-SiO2-Cl) using microwave-assistance technique and its structure was confirmed by various instrumental techniques. This nanocomposite was used as a novel, green and eco-friendly sequestering nanocomposite for extraction and removal of Cd(II), Pb(II) and Cu(II) metal ions from water. The highest determined up-take capacity value was obtained as 562.1, 973.8 and 152.1 mg g−1

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