Preparation of graphene oxide/chitosan/FeOOH nanocomposite for the removal of Pb(II) from aqueous solution

In the present study, a graphene oxide/chitosan/FeOOH (GO/Ch/FeOOH) nanostructured composite was prepared and used as an adsorbent for the removal of Pb(II) ions from aqueous solution. The nanocomposite was characterized by FT-IR, XRD, and SEM techniques. Several important parameters influencing the adsorption of Pb(II) ions such as pH (3-7), temperature (25-80 °C), shaking speed (150-800 rpm), contact time (10-70 min), and sorbent mass (10-100 mg) were studied. The results showed that, benefiting from the surface property of graphene oxide, the abundant amino and hydroxyl functional groups of chitosan, the adsorbent provides adequate and versatile adsorption for the Pb(II) ions under investigation. The batch adsorption experiments showed that the adsorption of the Pb(II) is considerably dependent on pH of milieu, amount of adsorbent, and contact time. The Freundlich and Langmuir adsorption models were used for the mathematical description of adsorption equilibrium and isotherm constants. Both models were applicable for the description of Pb(II) adsorption isotherm in the concentration range studied. However, Langmuir model showed higher correlation coefficient (R2) than Freundlich model. The study suggests that the GO/Ch/FeOOH is a promising nano adsorbent for the removal of Pb(II) ions from aqueous solution.