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Removal of Trinitrotoluene with Nano Zerovalent Iron Impregnated Graphene Oxide

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Abstract

Nano zerovalent iron (nZVI) impregnated reduced graphene oxide (nZVI-rGO) hybrid was prepared via gaseous hydrogen reduction of anhydrous iron(III) chloride (FeCl3) on the surface of thermally exfoliated reduced graphene oxide (rGO) nanosheets without using any toxic reducing agent, surfactant, or stabilizing agent. Characterization of prepared samples was carried out using various techniques. Morphological study showed that prepared rGO possesses a few-layered wrinkled paper-like structures and nZVI particles of ~ 30 nm size were homogeneously dispersed on the surface of rGO nanosheets. Fourier transform infrared (FTIR), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and energy dispersive X-ray spectrometry (EDS) analyses indicated that oxygen-containing functional groups decreased in the order of graphite oxide (GO) > rGO > nZVI-rGO. Removal studies of trinitrotoluene (TNT) were carried out using graphite (G), GO, rGO, and nZVI-rGO with the aid of high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). Kinetic models were applied to establish the rate and mechanism of adsorption of TNT on different adsorbents, and intraparticle diffusion model based on initial adsorption characteristics was employed to ascertain mechanism of film and intraparticle diffusion in the adsorption process. The removal rate and adsorption capacity was found to be highest for nZVI-rGO, which renders this adsorbent to be a potential futuristic adsorbent for removal of explosives.

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Acknowledgements

We are thankful to the director of CFEES for his constant encouragement and support. We also express our gratitude to the director of SSPL for allowing us to use the XRD and Raman spectrometer and AIRF-JNU, Delhi, for the TEM analysis.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Environment Safety Group, Centre for Fire, Explosive and Environment Safety, Brig. S. K. Mazumdar Road, Timarpur, Delhi, 110054, India

    Bharti, Ishani Khurana, Ajay Kumar Shaw, Amit Saxena & Pramod Kumar Rai

  2. Department of Chemistry, University of Delhi, Delhi, 110007, India

    Ishani Khurana & Jitender M. Khurana

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  1. Bharti
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  2. Ishani Khurana
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Correspondence to Pramod Kumar Rai.

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Bharti, Khurana, I., Shaw, A.K. et al. Removal of Trinitrotoluene with Nano Zerovalent Iron Impregnated Graphene Oxide. Water Air Soil Pollut 229, 17 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11270-017-3664-2

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