Influence of Doping-Ion-Type on the Characteristics of Al[sub.2]O[sub.3]-Based Nanocomposites and Their Capabilities of Removing Indigo Carmine from Water

• Published in: Inorganics 2022-09, Vol.10 (9)
• Main Author: Adam, Fatima A
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adsorption; Aluminum oxide; Analysis; Chemical synthesis; Composite materials; Methods; Nanoparticles; Properties; Structure
• ISSN: 2304-6740
• DOI: 10.3390/inorganics10090144

Globally, the continuous contamination of natural water resources is a severe issue, and looking for a solution for such a massive problem should be the researcher’s concern. Herein, Al[sub.2] O[sub.3] , Al[sub.2] O[sub.3] -CuO, Al[sub.2] O[sub.3] -NiO, and Al[sub.2] O[sub.3] -CoO were prepared via a simple and fast route, utilizing glucose as a capping material. All synthesis conditions were uniform to make the fabricated nanomaterials’ characteristics exclusively influenced by only the ion type. The SEM analysis showed that the particles of the synthesized Al[sub.2] O[sub.3] , Al[sub.2] O[sub.3] -CuO, Al[sub.2] O[sub.3] -NiO, and Al[sub.2] O[sub.3] -CoO were all less than 25 nm. The Al[sub.2] O[sub.3] -NiO showed the smallest particle size (11 to 14 nm) and the best BET surface area of 125.6 m[sup.2] g[sup.−1] . All sorbents were tested for removing organic pollutants, as exemplified by indigo carmine (IGC) dye. The Al[sub.2] O[sub.3] -NiO possessed the highest adsorption capacity among the other sorbents for which it had been selected for further investigations. The IGC sorption reached equilibrium within 2.0 h, and the kinetic study revealed that the IGC removal by Al[sub.2] O[sub.3] -NiO nanocomposite fitted the FOM and the LFM. The sorbent showed an experimental adsorption capacity (q[sub.t] ) of 456.3 mg g[sup.−1] from a 200 mg L[sup.−1] IGC solution and followed the Langmuir model. The thermodynamic findings indicated an endothermic, spontaneous, and physisorption nature. The seawater and groundwater samples contaminated with 5.0 mg L[sup.−1] IGC concentrations were fully remediated using the Al[sub.2] O[sub.3] -NiO nanocomposite. The reuse study showed 93.3% average efficiency during four successive cycles. Consequently, prepared Al[sub.2] O[sub.3] -NiO nanocomposite is recommended for the treatment of contaminated water.