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Highly dispersed core-shell iron nanoparticles decorating onto graphene nanosheets for superior Zn(II) wastewater treatment

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Abstract

This study reports the preparation of highly dispersed nanoscale zerovalent iron (nZVI) with core-shell structure decorated onto graphene nanosheets (Gr-NS) to form nZVI-Gr-NS composite. Meanwhile, its excellent performance for concentrated Zn(II) wastewater treatment is also studied. The adsorption of Zn(II) onto nZVI-Gr-NS is well simulated by the pseudo-second-order model, which indicates the adsorption is the rate-controlling step. Moreover, the adsorption isotherms of Zn(II) on the nZVI-Gr-NS can fit well with the Langmuir model. The negative thermodynamic parameters (△GƟ, △HƟ, △SƟ) calculated from the temperature-dependent isotherms indicate that the sorption reaction of Zn(II) is an exothermic and spontaneous process. The high saturation magnetization (37.4 emu g−1) of the nZVI-Gr-NS makes separation of nZVI-Gr-NS-bound Zn(II) easily and quickly from aqueous solution. Most importantly, nZVI-Gr-NS composites not only remove Zn(II) but also spontaneously remove As, Se, and Cu ions from real smelting wastewater samples. This study provides a good solution for heavy metal removal in real wastewater.

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Funding

Financial support from the National Science Foundation of China (NSFC grants nos. 11475127, 41673096, 41772243, 51578396) is acknowledged.

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Author notes

  1. Yihao Yao and Shiming Huang contributed equally to this work.

Authors and Affiliations

  1. State Key Laboratory for Pollution Control and Resource Reuse, College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Tongji University, Shanghai, 200092, People’s Republic of China

    Yihao Yao, Wen Zhou, Airong Liu, Weijia Zhao, Chenyu Song, Jing Liu & Weixian Zhang

  2. Department of Physics, Tongji University, Shanghai, 200092, People’s Republic of China

    Shiming Huang

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  1. Yihao Yao
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  3. Wen Zhou
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Correspondence to Airong Liu.

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Responsible editor: Ioannis A. Katsoyiannis

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Yao, Y., Huang, S., Zhou, W. et al. Highly dispersed core-shell iron nanoparticles decorating onto graphene nanosheets for superior Zn(II) wastewater treatment. Environ Sci Pollut Res 26, 806–815 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-018-3631-5

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-018-3631-5

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