Synthesis of magnetic iron oxide nanoparticles onto fluorinated carbon fabrics for contaminant removal and oil-water separation

The study investigates contaminant removal and oil-water separation efficiencies of magnetic Fe3O4 nanoparticle (MNP)-coated fluorinated carbon fabric (CF) membrane. A co-precipitation method was adopted to synthesize spherical MNPs with an average size of 20 nm. The as-prepared MNPs were uniformly dispersed and coated over the CF membrane, forming a two-tier roughened surface. Herein methylene blue (MB) and Cu2+ ion serve as adsorbate for evaluating the removal performance of the CF membrane. The MNP-coated CF membrane exhibits superior adsorption ability toward cationic MB molecules and Cu2+ ions in liquid phase, attributed to a synergistic effect that combines with porous CFs and Fe3O4 magnetite. The capacities for adsorption of MB and Cu2+ onto the MNPs are ca. 30.1 and 62.5 mg/g, respectively. The hydrophobicity and oleophobicity of the CF membrane were effectively improved by the MNP-coated fluorination approach. The improved repellencies mainly originate from the fact that the decoration of Fe3O4 magnetite and the surface fluorination, covering the CF surface, create a two-tier framework against the wetting of liquid droplets. The CF membrane shows fast removal rate of oil drops and excellent efficiency of oil-water separation (>95%). On the basis of the experimental results, the functional CF membrane offers a commercial feasibility for a variety of applications such as environmental protection and wastewater treatment.