Layer-by-layer assembly and functionalization of nanobentonite with nanopolyaniline and oleic acid to remove divalent Zn, Co,65Zn, and 60Co from water and radioactive wastewater

•Layer-by-layer functionalization of nanobentonite.•Nanopolyaniline and oleic acid were used to modify nanobentonite.•The particle size of modified nanobentonite was 9.45-33.60 nm.•Removal of divalent Co and Zn from water.•Removal of the radioisotopes 65Zn and 60Co from radioactive wastewater.

A novel material was designed using layer-by-layer functionalization of nanobentonite with nanopolyaniline and oleic acid to produce an efficient NBent-NPA-OA nanosorbent to adsorb the divalent ionic Zn/Co and their radioisotopes 65Zn/60Co from tap water and radioactive wastewater. The new nanosorbent was characterized by Fourier-transform-infrared (FT-IR), thermal gravimetric analysis (TGA), X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HR-TEM) and determination of surface area. The NBent-NPA-OA particle size was ranged between 9.45 and 33.60 nm according to HR-TEM analysis. The FT-IR exhibited several characteristic absorption peaks due to the existence of deposited layers of nanopolyaniline and oleic acid on the surface of nanobentonite surface. Different experimental parameters including, initial pH, contact time, nanosorbent, initial concentration of the target metals and interfering ions were varied, investigated and optimized to evaluate the removal efficiency of the divalent ionic Zn/Co from their solutions by the action of NBent-NPA-OA nanosorbent. The collected batch equilibrium results confirmed the efficiency of newly functionalized NBent-NPA-OA nanosorbent to uptake the divalent ionic Zn/Co from their solutions (10.0 mL of 0.01 mol/L) with maximum capacity values 2.916 and 1.960 mmol g−1, respectively using 5.0 mg nanosorbent, pH 6.0 and 20 min contact reaction time. The multistage microcolumn system was successfully implemented to remove the divalent ionic Zn/Co from tap water in addition to their radioisotopes 65Zn/60Co from radioactive wastewater. The current study refers to an excellent recovery and the removal percent of the radioisotopes 65Zn (96.4) and 60Co (92.7%) using NBent-NPA-OA nanosorbent.

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