A novel synthesis of TiO2/GO nanocomposite for the uptake of Pb2+ and Cd2+ from wastewater

Abstract

Ionic liquids attract attention in the last years due to its powerful solvation properties. For this reason, in current study 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium tetrafluoroborate [EMIM-BF4] ILs was used for the synthesis of high surface TiO2/GO nanocomposite, as an active material for heavy metal removal from aqueous media. FT-IR, transmission electron microscopy (TEM), scanning electron microscope (SEM), and x-ray diffraction (XRD) techniques were employed for identification of the novel nanocomposite. Batch experiments were conducted for Cd+2 and Pb+2 uptake from wastewater by the synthesized nanocomposite. The effect of parameters affecting adsorption capicity, such as contact time, pH, nanocomposite dosage and the initial concentration of heavy metals were examined for Cd+2 and Pb+2 removal by the prepared nanocomposite. The removal efficiency of Cd+2 and Pb+2 was 69.36% and 89%, respectively, under optimal conditions confirming the ability to use the prepared nanocomposite for wastewater treatment from heavy metals with high efficiency.