Magnetite nanoparticles supported on organically modified montmorillonite for adsorptive removal of iodide from aqueous solution: Optimization using response surface methodology

•A novel MNP-OMMT was synthesized by a facile coprecipitation method.•XRD, FT-IR, TGA, and MPMS analyses confirmed successful synthesis of MNP-OMMT.•The MNP-OMMT was an excellent adsorbent for iodide adsorption.•RSM was employed to determine the optimal conditions for enhanced iodide removal.

Magnetite nanoparticles supported on organically modified montmorillonite (MNP-OMMTs) were successfully synthesized by a facile coprecipitation method. The surface of natural clay was modified using a cationic surfactant, hexadecyltrimethylammonium. The synthesized MNP-OMMTs were used as an adsorbent to remove iodide from aqueous solutions. The maximum adsorption capacity of the adsorbent was 322.42 mg/g, which is much higher than other previously reported adsorbents for removing iodide in aqueous solution. The experimental data were well fitted to a pseudo-second-order kinetic model, and the adsorption behavior followed the Langmuir isotherm. A thermodynamic study indicated that iodide adsorption was spontaneous and endothermic. The individual and combined effects of key process parameters (pH, temperature, and initial iodide concentration) were studied using a response surface methodology. The maximum iodide removal efficiency of 93.81% was obtained under the optimal conditions of pH 3.9, a temperature of 41.3 °C, and an initial iodide concentration of 113.8 mg/L.

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