Environmental Technology & Innovation | 2021
Superparamagnetic cobalt ferric nanoparticles incorporated biopolymers extracted from dragon fruit (hylocereus undatus) peels for nickel(II) removal
Abstract
Abstract Low-cost adsorbents derived from agricultural by-products incorporated magnetic nanoparticles (NPs) are promising and novel adsorbents for water/wastewater treatment due to their outstanding performance and easy separation. This study reports a nanocomposite of cobalt superparamagnetic (CoFe 2O4) NPs incorporated biopolymers extracted from a dragon fruit (hylocereus undatus) peel, called bp-CoFe 2O4, to potentially remove Ni(II) ions from aqueous solutions. Morphologic and structural properties of the bp-CoFe 2O4 were successfully characterized using a scanning electron spectrometry, X-ray diffraction, Fourier transform infrared spectrometry, and vibrating sample magnetometer (VSM). The bp-CoFe 2O4 particles exhibited soft and superparamagnetic properties, which can be easily recycled using an external magnet. Ni(II) adsorption on the bp-CoFe2O4 was attributed to both the components including CoFe2O4 particles and coated biopolymers. Indeed, the bp-CoFe2O4 adsorbing Ni(II) ions reached optimal at pH ∼ 6 ( ∼ 88% of Ni(II) removal at an adsorbent dose of 1 g/L and Ni(II) concentration of 171.1 mg/L). The bp-CoFe 2O4 can maintain the effective treatment of Ni(II) ion (only ∼ 10% of efficiency loss) up to three cycles of the regeneration. Owing to retaining the magnetic property through the regeneration cycles, this bio-adsorbent would promise a high potential for long-term treatment of Ni(II) ions from polluted waters with easy separation.