Adsorption of fast green dye onto Fe3O4 MNPs and GO/Fe3O4 MNPs synthesized by photo-irradiation method: Isotherms, thermodynamics, kinetics, and reuse studies

Abstract

In this study, the adsorption of Fast Green dye (FGD) on the surface of ferrous ferric oxide Fe3O4 MNPs and Graphene oxide Nano-Sheets/ferrous ferric oxide GO/Fe3O4 MNPs as adsorbents was examined. The photo-irradiation method was successfully used to synthesize Fe3O4 MNPs and GO/Fe3O4 MNPs using UV lamp. Raman spectroscopy was used to characterize the GO and GO/ Fe3O4 MNPs. XRD, FESEM, and EDX were used to characterize the Fe3O4 MNPs and GO/ Fe3O4 MNPs. Optimal adsorption conditions were studied, including a contact time of 60 min, MNPs amount of 0.05 g, pH 2, FGD concentration of 10 mg/L, and temperature of 308 K. Langmuir, Freundlich, Temkin, and Dubinin–Radushkevich (D-R) isotherm models were used to fit the experimental equilibrium data at five different temperatures (288, 298, 308, 318, and 328 K). It was noticed that FGD adsorption on Fe3O4 MNPs and GO/ Fe3O4 MNPs is consistent with the Freundlich model at 308 K. The PSO rate kinetics suggests that both MNPs are promising materials for the removal of FGD from aqueous solutions. Thermodynamic studies showed that the adsorption processes are non-spontaneous on both MNPs surfaces, endothermic for Fe3O4 MNPs, and exothermic for GO/ Fe3O4 MNPs. All the results confirm that Fe3O4 MNPs and GO/ Fe3O4 MNPs have the potential to be efficient, low-cost, reusable, and stable adsorbents for the removal of FGD from aqueous solutions.