Fe3O4 and γ-Fe2O3 nanoparticles for the adsorption of Co2+ from aqueous solution

The adsorption of Co2+ ions from nitrate solutions using iron oxide nanoparticles of magnetite (Fe3O4) and maghemite (γ-Fe2O3) has been studied. The adsorption of Co2+ ions on the surface of the particles was investigated under different conditions of oxide content, contact time, solution pH, and initial Co2+ ion concentration. It has been found that the equilibrium can be attained in less than 5 min. The maximum loading capacity of Fe3O4 and γ-Fe2O3 nanoparticles is 5.8×10−55.8×10−5 and 3.7×10−5 molm−2, respectively, which are much higher than the previously studied, iron oxides and conventional ion exchange resins. Co2+ ions were also recovered by dilute nitric acid from the loaded γ-Fe2O3 and Fe3O4 with an efficiency of 86 and 30%, respectively. That has been explained by the different mechanisms by including both the surface and structural loadings of Co2+ ions. The surface adsorption of Co2+ on Fe3O4 and γ-Fe2O3 nanoparticles has been found to have the same mechanism of ion exchange reaction between Co2+ in the solution and proton bonded on the particle surface. The conditional equilibrium constants of surface adsorption of Co2+ on Fe3O4 and γ-Fe2O3 nanoparticles have been determined to be logK=−3.3±0.3logK=−3.3±0.3 and −3.1±0.2−3.1±0.2, respectively. The structural loading of Co2+ ions into Fe3O4 lattice has been found to be the ion exchange reaction between Co2+ and Fe2+ while that into γ-Fe2O3 lattice to fill its vacancy. The effect of temperature on the adsorption of Co2+ was also investigated, and the value of enthalpy change was determined to be 19 kJ mol−1.

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