Efficiency enhancement of electro-adsorption desalination using iron oxide nanoparticle-incorporated activated carbon nanocomposite

Abstract

Capacitive deionization (CDI) technology is currently considered a potential candidate for brackish water desalination. In this study, we designed iron oxide nanoparticle-incorporated activated carbon (AC/Fe2O3) via a facile and cost-effective hydrothermal process. The as-synthesized material was characterized using several techniques and tested as electrodes in CDI applications. We found that the distinctive properties of the AC/Fe2O3 electrode, i.e., high wettability, high surface area, unique structural morphology, and high conductivity, resulted in promising CDI performance. The electrosorptive capacity of the AC/Fe2O3 nanocomposite reached 6.76 mg g−1 in the CDI process, with a high specific capacitance of 1157.5 F g−1 at 10 mV s−1 in a 1 M NaCl electrolyte. This study confirms the potential use of AC/Fe2O3 nanocomposites as viable electrode materials in CDI and other electrochemical applications.