Innovative impregnation process for production of γ-Fe2O3–activated carbon nanocomposite

An immobilized superparamagnetic nanocomposite comprising γ-Fe2O3 and activated carbon was synthesized via a facile thermal decomposition route. To prepare the magnetically functionalized nanocomposite, treated activated carbon (TAC) loaded with lepidocrocite (γ-FeOOH) nanoparticles (MAC-1) was first produced via a wet chemical method. Then magnetic activated carbon (AC/γ-Fe2O3, MAC-2) was fabricated by thermal decomposition of MAC-1 at 250 °C under argon gas for 1 h. Characterization analyses confirmed that superparamagnetic spherical maghemite nanoparticles of 21±2 nm in size were homogeneously dispersed on the TAC. The specific surface area was 643.8 m2 g−1 for TAC, 289 m2 g−1 for MAC-1, and 303.5 m2 g−1 for MAC-2. The industrially friendly nanocomposite was applied as an adsorbent for pollutant removal from aqueous solution.