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pH-sensitive and magnetically separable Fe/Cu bimetallic nanoparticles supported by graphene oxide (GO) for high-efficiency removal of tetracyclines.

J Colloid Interface Sci. 2019 Jan 15;534:549-562

Authors: Tabrizian P, Ma W, Bakr A, Rahaman MS

Abstract

Nanoscale zero-valent iron (nZVI) has been recognized as one of the most promising materials for the removal of a wide range of pharmaceuticals in water; however, aggregation and instability of nZVI in aqueous media reduces its efficacy. In this study, graphene oxide (GO) supported nZVI/copper bimetallic-nanoparticles (BNPs) were fabricated for high-efficiency removal of tetracyclines (TCs). In comparison to pure nZVI, the addition of Cu to the nano-adsorbents enhanced the efficacy of TC removal by 13%. The GO supporter mitigated the aggregation of BNPs and reduced the dissolution of metal nanoparticles, thereby demonstrating a higher working efficacy than Fe/Cu BNPs, even over five consecutive runs. At the optimal condition (pH 5-7, [TCs]: [Fe/Cu-GO] = 1:2.5 w/w), the Fe/Cu-GO nanocomposite showed near-complete (~100%) TCs-removal within 15?min. The adsorption of TCs by Fe/Cu-GO fits the Freundlich model, with an adsorption capacity of 201.9?mg?g-1. The Fe/Cu-GO nanocomposite showed pH-dependent assembly behavior to potentially recycle GO at a pH?>?9 condition to generate new nanoparticles. The high removal efficiency of TCs, combining with high stability and easy separation performance in the aqueous environment, makes Fe/Cu-GO nanocomposites a promising material for treating latent antibiotics in water.

PMID: 30253356 [PubMed - in process]