Hydrothermal synthesis of hydroxyapatite-reduced graphene oxide (1D–2D) hybrids with enhanced selective adsorption properties for methyl orange and hexavalent chromium from aqueous solutions

Abstract

The presence of organic dye molecules and heavy metal ions in water causes ecological and public health problems. Therefore, remediation of water/wastewater contaminated with organic dye molecules and toxic metal ions is of importance. Herein, a reduced graphene oxide (RGO)–hydroxyapatite (Hat) (1D–2D) hybrid composite was fabricated through a hydrothermal process and applied for the adsorption of methyl orange (MO) and hexavalent chromium (Cr(VI)) from water. The as-fabricated RGO–Hat hybrids were characterized using FTIR, XRD, HR-TEM, SEM, XPS, EDAX, and TGA-DSC analytical techniques. The influencing parameters of adsorption performance, namely solution pH, contact time, and co-interfering ions, were explored to obtain the maximum adsorption capacity of contaminants from the solid–liquid interface. Batch studies revealed that MO and Cr(VI) adsorption followed the pseudo-second-order kinetic and the Langmuir isotherm models. The adsorption capacity was 49.14 and 45.24 mg g−1 for MO and Cr(VI), respectively. The adsorption of such ions over RGO–Hat hybrids was mainly driven by several uptake mechanisms viz, electrostatic force of attraction, π–π interactions, and hydrogen bonding. Thus, this study demonstrated that the RGO–Hat hybrid is a potential candidate for the treatment of MO and Cr(VI) from water.