Decolorization of methylene blue by silver/reduced graphene oxide-ethylene diamine nanomaterial: synthesis, characterization, and optimization.

In this study, ethylene diamine-coated reduced graphene oxide-supported silver composite (Ag/rGO-ED) was synthesized and used as an efficient catalyst for the decolorization of methylene blue (MB) in the presence of NaBH4. The morphology of the obtained material was elucidated using field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM), Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), energy-dispersive X-ray analysis (EDX), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and X-ray diffraction (XRD) techniques. The influences of four parameters (MB concentration (mg/L), NaBH4 amount (mM), catalyst amount (g/L), and contact time (s)) on the decolorization process were appraised and optimized via response surface methodology (RSM). For the decolorization of MB, the optimum solutions were obtained as Co of 32.49 mg/L, NaBH4 amount of 152.89 mM, catalyst amount of 0.83 g/L, and 101.39 s contact time with MB decolorization efficiency of 97.73%. MB, a pollutant in wastewater, was decolorized rapidly by Ag/rGO-ED with an efficiency of approximately 97%. The exploration of kinetics and thermodynamics was another major emphasis of the work. The activation energy (Ea) and rate constant (k) for the decolorization of MB were obtained as 37.9 kJ/mol and 0.0135 s-1, respectively. The obtained results show that the catalyst, a new composite material in the literature, is promising for decolorization of wastewater.

Decolorization of Rhodamine B by silver nanoparticle-loaded magnetic sporopollenin: characterization and process optimization.

Silver nanoparticles (Ag NPs) were reduced on the surface of magnetic sporopollenin (Fe3O4@SP) modified with poly-dopamine to enhance the degradation capability for Rhodamine B (RhB). The polydopamine-coated Fe3O4@SP (PDA@ Fe3O4@SP) acts as a self-reducing agent for Ag+ ions to Ag0. The structural properties of the synthesized nanocomposite were determined using Fourier transform infrared spectrometry (FTIR), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), X-ray powder diffraction (XRD), inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS), and vibrating sample magnetometer (VSM). The systematic study of the degradation process was performed using Response Surface Methodology (RSM) to determine the relationship between the four process variables, namely, initial RhB concentration, NaBH4 amount, catalyst amount, and time. Optimum points were determined for these four parameters using both matrix and numerical optimization methods. Under optimum conditions, RhB was decolorized with a yield of 98.11%. The apparent activation energy (Ea) and rate constant (k) for the degradation were 24.13 kJ/mol and 0.77 min-1, respectively. The reusability studies of the Ag@PDA@Fe3O4@SP exhibited more than 85% degradation ability of the dye even after five cycles. As a result, Ag@PDA@Fe3O4@SP possessed high catalytic activity, fast reduction rate, good reusability, easy separation, and simple preparation, endowing this catalyst to be used as a promising catalyst for the decolorization of dyes in aqueous solutions.

Magnetic nanoparticles coated with aminated polymer brush as a novel material for effective removal of Pb(II) ions from aqueous environments.

In the present study, a poly (vinylbenzyl chloride) grafted Fe3O4 nanoparticle (Fe3O4@PVBC) was prepared by surface-initiated reversible addition fragmentation chain transfer (SI-RAFT) polymerization and subsequently coated with tris (aminoethyl) amine (TAEA). Then, Fe3O4@PVBC-TAEA nanoparticles were utilized as a novel adsorbent for removal of Pb(II) from aqueous media and optimal adsorption conditions were determined with response surface methodology (RSM). The used adsorbent was characterized by using X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and vibrating sample magnetometer (VSM). RSM with central composite design (CCD) was carried out to evaluate the effect of initial pH, initial Pb(II) concentration (C0, mg/L), adsorbent dosage (mg), and contact time (min). The optimum initial pH, C0, adsorbent dosage, and contact time were found to be 5.88, 46.51 mg/L, 17.41 mg, and 108.21 min, respectively. The maximum removal efficiency and adsorption capacity were 97.07% and 129.65 mg/g under these conditions, respectively. The kinetic data revealed that the adsorption mechanism could be best explained by the pseudo-second-order and Weber-Morris models. The isotherm studies found that both the Langmuir and Freundlich isotherm models fitted the experimental data well. The thermodynamic analysis indicated that the adsorption nature is exothermic, applicable, and spontaneous.

Highly efficient Cd(II) adsorption using mercapto-modified bentonite as a novel adsorbent: an experimental design application based on response surface methodology for optimization.

We report the optimization with response surface methodology (RSM) for adsorption conditions required for removal of Cd(II) from an aqueous environment with 3-mercaptopropyl trimethoxysilane-modified bentonite (MMB). Central composite design (CCD) in RSM was used to optimize the most significant adsorption variables of initial pH, temperature (°C), initial Cd(II) concentration (Co, mg L-1) and adsorbent dosage (g). With the quadratic model equation obtained from CCD, the optimum values were determined as initial pH 6.40, temperature 20 °C, Co 49.55 mg L-1 and adsorbent dosage 0.17 g. Under optimum conditions, the optimum adsorption amount of Cd(II) was 27.55 mg Cd(II)/g adsorbent and adsorption yield was 94.52%. The obtained results showed that the Langmuir and Dubinin Radushkevich (D-R) adsorption isotherms were more suitable for adsorption equilibrium data. The kinetic studies indicated that the pseudo-second-order kinetic model was fitted to the adsorption kinetic data. Additionally, thermodynamic studies indicated that the adsorption process was spontaneous and exothermic. As a result, MMB can be chosen as an effective adsorbent for treating heavy metals such as Cd(II) in wastewater and removing them from aqueous solutions. Furthermore, it is thought that it will positively contribute to the literature since the adsorbent-adsorbate combination (MMB-Cd(II)) is used for the first time.

Optimization of removal conditions of copper ions from aqueous solutions by Trametes versicolor.

A multi-step response surface methodology was successfully applied to optimize the biosorption conditions for the maximum removal of Cu(II) ions from aqueous solutions using Trametes versicolor fungi as a biosorbent. In the first step, the most effective medium factors, which are pH, temperature and initial Cu(II) concentration, on biosorption of Cu(II), were determined through Plackett-Burman Design. Then steepest accent followed by central composite design steps were utilized to evaluate the optimum biosorption conditions for the maximum Cu(II) ions removal. Based on the statistic analysis; the optimum conditions were obtained 5.51, 20.13 degrees C and 60.98 mg/L as medium pH, medium temperature and initial Cu(II) concentration, respectively. Finally the analysis of variance (ANOVA) of central composite design showed the proposed quadratic model fitted experimental data very well.