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Iron oxide nanoparticle synthesis in aqueous and membrane systems for oxidative degradation of trichloroethylene from water

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Abstract

The potential for using hydroxyl radical (OH•) reactions catalyzed by iron oxide nanoparticles (NPs) to remediate toxic organic compounds was investigated. Iron oxide NPs were synthesized by controlled oxidation of iron NPs prior to their use for contaminant oxidation (by H2O2 addition) at near-neutral pH values. Cross-linked polyacrylic acid (PAA) functionalized polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) microfiltration membranes were prepared by in situ polymerization of acrylic acid inside the membrane pores. Iron and iron oxide NPs (80–100 nm) were directly synthesized in the polymer matrix of PAA/PVDF membranes, which prevented the agglomeration of particles and controlled the particle size. The conversion of iron to iron oxide in aqueous solution with air oxidation was studied based on X-ray diffraction, Mössbauer spectroscopy and BET surface area test methods. Trichloroethylene (TCE) was selected as the model contaminant because of its environmental importance. Degradations of TCE and H2O2 by NP surface generated OH• were investigated. Depending on the ratio of iron and H2O2, TCE conversions as high as 100 % (with about 91 % dechlorination) were obtained. TCE dechlorination was also achieved in real groundwater samples with the reactive membranes.

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Acknowledgments

This research was supported by a joint National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) SRP Supplement grant between University of Kentucky (UK) and University of California at Berkeley, UK-NIEHS-SRP program and by the US Department of Energy (DOE) KRCEE programs (DE-FG05-03OR23032). We thank Dr. Frank E. Huggins from Department of Chemical and Materials Engineering at UK for Mössbauer spectroscopy analytical support.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Chemical and Materials Engineering, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, 40506, USA

    Minghui Gui, Vasile Smuleac & Dibakar Bhattacharyya

  2. Department of Civil Engineering, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, 40506, USA

    Lindell E. Ormsbee

  3. Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of California at Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, 94720, USA

    David L. Sedlak

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  1. Minghui Gui
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  2. Vasile Smuleac
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Correspondence to Dibakar Bhattacharyya.

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11051_2012_861_MOESM1_ESM.doc

The characterization of iron and iron oxide nanoparticles including DLS, BET surface area, XPS, and zeta-potentials tests are available online. The AAS and ICP-AES results for iron loading in iron oxide/PAA/PVDF membranes are also included. Supplementary material 1 (DOC 308 kb)

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Gui, M., Smuleac, V., Ormsbee, L.E. et al. Iron oxide nanoparticle synthesis in aqueous and membrane systems for oxidative degradation of trichloroethylene from water. J Nanopart Res 14, 861 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11051-012-0861-1

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