Synthesis of magnetic Fe-doped hydroxyapatite nanocages with highly efficient and selective adsorption for Cd2+

Abstract

Abstract Fe-doped hydroxyapatite (HA) nanocages were firstly synthesized using cheap and readily available potassium mono-dodecyl phosphate as the micelle template agent. The incorporation of Fe into HA crystal lattices makes the hollow structure of Fe-doped HA nanocages resist the shrinkage caused by calcination. The obtained Fe-doped HA nanocages have a size of 80–100\u202fnm, a mesoporous shell with a thickness of 12\u202fnm, a specific surface area of 80.1973\u202fm2/g and a pore volume of 0.43298\u202fcm3/g. The nanocages have a highly efficient and selective adsorption for Cd2+ as well as a superparamagnetic property. The magnetic characteristic and the outstanding adsorption property for heavy metal ions of Fe-doped HA nanocages provide evidence that the material has a great promise for wastewater treatment.