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Cadmium and copper heavy metal treatment from water resources by high-performance folic acid-graphene oxide nanocomposite adsorbent and evaluation of adsorptive mechanism using computational intelligence, isotherm, kinetic, and thermodynamic analyses

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Abstract

In this paper, folic acid–coated graphene oxide nanocomposite (FA-GO) is used as an adsorbent for the treatment of heavy metals including cadmium (Cd2+) and copper (Cu2+) ions. As such, graphene oxide (GO) is modified by folic acid (FA) to synthesize FA-GO nanocomposite and characterized by the atomic force microscopy (AFM), Fourier transform-infrared (FT-IR) spectrophotometry, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and C/H/N elemental analyses. Also, computational intelligence tests are used to study the mechanism of the interaction of FA molecules with GO. Based on the results, FA molecules formed a strong π-π stacking, chemical, and hydrogen bond interactions with functional groups of GO. Main parameters including pH of the sample solution, amounts of adsorbent, and contact time are studied and optimized by the Response Surface Methodology Based on Central Composite Design (RSM-CCD). In this study, the equilibrium of adsorption is appraised by two (Langmuir and Freundlich and Temkin and D-R models) and three parameter (Sips, Toth, and Khan models) isotherms. Based on the two parameter evaluations, Langmuir and Freundlich models have high accuracy according to the R2 coefficient (more than 0.9) in experimental curve fittings of each pollutant adsorption. But, multilayer adsorption of each contaminant onto the FA-GO adsorbent (Freundlich equation) is demonstrated by three parameter isotherm analysis. Also, isotherm calculations express maximum computational adsorption capacities of 103.1 and 116.3 mg g−1 for Cd2+ and Cu2+ ions, correspondingly. Kinetic models are scrutinized and the outcomes depict the adsorption of both Cd2+ and Cu2+ followed by the pseudo-second-order equation. Meanwhile, the results of the geometric model illustrate that the variation of adsorption and desorption rates do not have any interfering during the adsorption process. Finally, thermodynamic studies show that the adsorption of Cu2+ and Cd2+ onto the FA-GO nanocomposite is an endothermic and spontaneous process.

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Acknowledgments

The authors wish to thank the Iran Laboratory in Mashhad, Iran, and Mrs. Mahsa Keramati Yazadi.

Funding

This study was financially supported by the University of Neyshabur (Grant Number 14253).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Sciences, University of Neyshabur, Neyshabur, Iran

    Mohammad Eftekhari & Hossein Azizi-Toupkanloo

  2. Department of Civil Engineering, Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, Mashhad, Iran

    Mehran Akrami & Mohammad Gheibi

  3. School of Mechanical Engineering, Shandong University, Jinan, 250061, China

    Mohammad Gheibi & Guangdong Tian

  4. Key Laboratory of High Efficiency and Clean Mechanical Manufacture (Ministry of Education), Shandong University, Jinan, 250061, China

    Mohammad Gheibi & Guangdong Tian

  5. National Demonstration Center for Experimental Mechanical Engineering Education, Shandong University, Jinan, 250061, China

    Mohammad Gheibi & Guangdong Tian

  6. Department of Electrical Engineering, École de Technologie Supérieure, University of Québec, Montréal, Canada

    Amir Mohammad Fathollahi-Fard

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  1. Mohammad Eftekhari
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  2. Mehran Akrami
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Correspondence to Mohammad Eftekhari.

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Eftekhari, M., Akrami, M., Gheibi, M. et al. Cadmium and copper heavy metal treatment from water resources by high-performance folic acid-graphene oxide nanocomposite adsorbent and evaluation of adsorptive mechanism using computational intelligence, isotherm, kinetic, and thermodynamic analyses. Environ Sci Pollut Res 27, 43999–44021 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-020-10175-7

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