Fabrication and adsorption properties of magnetic graphene oxide nanocomposites for removal of arsenic (V) from water

Abstract

In this work, magnetic graphene oxide nanocomposites were synthesized by co-precipitation method and used as an adsorbent for removal of arsenic (V) ions from water. The structure and morphology of magnetic graphene oxide nanocomposites were studied by X-ray diffraction, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, transmission electron microscopy, Brunauer–Emmett–Teller specific surface area, and vibrating sample magnetometry. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, and transmission electron microscopy results of magnetic graphene oxide presented that the Fe3O4 nanoparticles in the size range of 10–25 nm were decorated on graphene oxide nanosheets. The adsorption properties of magnetic graphene oxide nanocomposites for arsenic (V) from water were investigated to study the effects of magnetic graphene oxide mass ratio, contact time, pH, and initial concentration. The suitable magnetic graphene oxide mass ratio of nanocomposites for arsenic (V) adsorption was determined to be 4:1 (FG2). The adsorption process on FG2 followed a pseudo-second-order kinetic and well fitted in to Langmuir isotherm model with the maximum adsorption capacity of 69.44 mg/g at pH 3. Accordingly, FG2 could be used as an effective adsorbent for removal of arsenic (V) from water.