Efficient Decolorization of Congo red from Aqueous Solutions using Fe3O4 Nanoparticles

Present work is focused on structural and magnetic properties of magnetite nanoparticles for removal of Congo red which is a recognized contaminant in wastewater of different industries such as paper and textiles. Magnetite (Fe3O4) nanoparticles were synthesized via Sol–Gel method by using Ferric nitrate and Ethylene glycol as precursors with different annealing temperatures. This procedure was preferred because of being affordable, producing high purity materials and using less toxic iron salts, compared to other procedures. The prepared nanoparticles were characterized by X-ray energy dispersive spectrometer (EDS) which shows the compositional analysis, Vibrating Sample Magnetometer (VSM) to prepare magnetic properties and Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM) to indicate phase structure, particle size, and morphology. The adsorption capacity of magnetite nanoparticles and removal efficiency of Congo red were evaluated using effects of pH, concentration, time, and two isotherm models: Langmuir and Freundlich. The magnetite nanoparticles showed remarkable high adsorption capacity compared to some other adsorbents.

Keywords:

Congo red adsorption , Magnetite nanoparticles , Sol-Gel method , Structural analysis