Surface Functionalization of Magnetite Nanoparticles for Remediation Enhancement of Phenol from Aqueous Solutions

Authors

  • Tanusha Devi Elan Solan Department of Chemical and Process Engineering, Faculty of Engineering and Built Environment, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM), 43600 UKM Bangi, Selangor, Malaysia
  • Siti Khalijah Mahmad Rozi Faculty of Chemical Engineering & Technology, Universiti Malaysia Perlis, Kompleks Pusat Pengajian Jejawi 3, 02600, Arau, Perlis; Centre of Excellence for Biomass Utilization, Universiti Malaysia Perlis, Kompleks Pusat Pengajian Jejawi 3, 02600, Arau, Perlis
  • Noorashikin Md Saleh Department of Chemical and Process Engineering, Faculty of Engineering and Built Environment, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM), 43600 UKM Bangi, Selangor, Malaysia
  • Sharifah Mohamad Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, University of Malaya, 50603, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
  • Ahmad Razali Ishak Centre of Environmental Health and Safety, Faculty of Health Sciences, Universiti Teknologi MARA, Puncak Alam Campus, 42300 Kuala Selangor, Malaysia
  • Nurul Yani Rahim School of Chemical Sciences, Universiti Sains Malaysia, 11900 Minden, Pulau Pinang, Malaysia
  • Monisha Devi Elan Solan Faculty of Chemical Engineering & Technology, Universiti Malaysia Perlis, Kompleks Pusat Pengajian Jejawi 3, 02600, Arau, Perlis

Keywords:

Amine-functionalized magnetite nanoparticles, Adsorption, Phenol, Water treatment

Abstract

Phenol is a toxic pollutant generated by industries. It can diminish the supply of clean water and is hazardous to human health. Hence, an effective abatement method is important to remove phenol from water sources. The following amine-functionalized magnetite nanoparticles, ethylenediamine (EDA), diethylenetriamine (DETA), triethylenetetramine (TETA), tetraethylenepentamine (TEPA), and polyethylenehexamine (PEHA), were used to study the adsorption performances of phenol from the prepared samples. The morphological study revealed long rod shapes with rough and sharp edges, while the elemental analysis presented the addition of two elements, C and N atoms. In addition, the TETA@MNP possessed weaker magnetism compared to MNPs, showing that the surface functionalization of MNPs was successful. TETA@MNP showed the highest percentage for phenol removal compared to others. The TETA@MNP achieved a removal efficiency of 99.2% at optimum conditions of 60 mg dosage, contact time of 25 min, and pH of 7. TETA@MNP obeyed the pseudo-second-order kinetic model and the Freundlich isotherm model, with coefficients of determination (R2) of 0.9765 and 0.9682, respectively. The reusability study has demonstrated that TETA@MNP can be reused approximately 6 times with extremely minor loss. Therefore, TETA@MNP is a good adsorbent for the adsorption of phenol from prepared sample solutions.

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Published

2023-11-21 — Updated on 2023-11-27

Issue

Vol. 19 No. 1 (2024)

Section

Research Article or Brief Communication