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Nanoporous zero-valent iron

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Abstract

Hollow and nanoporous particles of zero-valent iron (ZVI) were prepared with template-directed synthesis. Polymer resin beads (0.4 mm diameter) were coated with nanoscale iron particles by reductive precipitation of ferrous iron [Fe(II)] with sodium borohydride. The resin was calcinated at 400 °C to produce hollow and nanoporous iron spheres. The nanoporous iron oxides were then reduced to metallic iron by hydrogen at 500 °C. Scanning electron microscope images of the reduced iron spheres showed that the particles were hollow. The shell thickness was approximately 5 μm and highly porous. Brunauer–Emmett–Teller specific surface area was 2100 m2/kg. In comparison, the theoretical specific surface area of solid iron particles of the same size is just 1.9 m2/kg. Batch tests showed that the surface area normalized reactivity of the porous particles were 14–31% higher than microscale iron particles with similar surface areas for the transformation of hexavalent chromium [Cr(VI)], azo dye Orange II (4-[(2-hydroxyl-1-naphthalenyl)azo]-benzenesulfonic acid monosodium, and trichloroethene. The combined performance enhancement (larger surface area and higher surface activity) is significant (>1200 times).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Center for Advanced Materials and Nanotechnology, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Lehigh University, Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, 18015, USA

    Jiasheng Cao, Patrick Clasen & Wei-xian Zhang

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  1. Jiasheng Cao
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  2. Patrick Clasen
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  3. Wei-xian Zhang
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Correspondence to Wei-xian Zhang.

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Cao, J., Clasen, P. & Zhang, Wx. Nanoporous zero-valent iron. Journal of Materials Research 20, 3238–3243 (2005). https://doi.org/10.1557/jmr.2005.0401

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