article · Journal of Inorganic and Organometallic Polymers and Materials
An alginate and zinc oxide biocomposite was synthesised to capture toxic hexavalent chromium ions from water for environmental applications. The material was produced by combining sodium alginate biopolymer with zinc oxide nanoparticles fabricated via a modified wet chemical method. Various analytical techniques, including Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, transmission electron microscopy, and ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy, were used to characterise the structural properties of the resulting biocomposite. Adsorption trials evaluated the influence of initial chromium concentration, pH, contact time, adsorbent dosage, and temperature. At 25 degrees Celsius, the biocomposite achieved a maximum adsorption capacity of 34.63 milligrams per gram, outperforming standalone zinc oxide nanoparticles, which achieved 31.09 milligrams per gram. Mathematical modelling demonstrated that the removal process matches Langmuir and Dubinin-Radushkevich models, confirming that chromium uptake occurs predominantly through monolayer physical adsorption.
Hexavalent chromium is a dangerous environmental contaminant that poses severe risks to human health and aquatic ecosystems. Creating biocomposites from abundant biopolymers like alginate alongside metal oxide nanoparticles offers a functional approach for capturing toxic heavy metals from contaminated water solutions across a variety of operating conditions.
The material could enable targeted heavy-metal removal in wastewater treatment operations and industrial effluent purification systems. Anticipated users include industrial processors generating chromium waste and water management facilities. Because the findings are based on laboratory batch adsorption experiments and material characterisation, the technology remains at an early stage of development, with pilot scaling and continuous-flow trials necessary before commercial deployment.
AI-generated from the published abstract. Always read the original work before citing.
Abstract Alginate–zinc oxide (Alg–ZnO) biocomposite was synthesized and tested as a chromium ions Cr(VI) adsorbent for environmental applications. Alg–ZnO biocomposite was prepared by the interaction between sodium alginate biopolymer and zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnO–NPs), prepared by modified wet chemical method. The solid adsorption characteristics of the synthesized Alg–ZnO biocomposite were characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), X-ray diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and UV–Vis spectroscopy. Adsorption isotherms of chromium ions on the prepared Alg–ZnO biocomposite were investigated with varying the initial concentration of Cr(VI) under different application conditions such as pH, contact time, adsorbent dosage, and temperature. Adsorption of Cr(VI) was investigated by different isotherm models such as Langmuir, Freundlich, Temkin and Dubinin–Radushkevich models. Maximum adsorption capacities (31.09 and 34.63 mg/g) were achieved by ZnO–NPs and Alg–ZnO, respectively at 25 °C. The results of isotherm models indicate the perfect applicability of Langmuir and Dubinin–Radushkevich models, revealing the dominance of monolayer and the physisorption of chromium ions onto the studied adsorbents.
This page summarises published work. The authoritative version sits with the publisher.
DOI: 10.1007/s10904-023-02573-4
Is something wrong with this record? Report it or request removal.
Discussion
Have you built on this work, tried to replicate it, or seen it applied in practice? Share what you know. Verified researchers and MARATTO™ domain experts can open a discussion, and any member can reply. Contributions are reviewed before they appear.
No discussion yet. Open the first thread.
New to MARATTO™? Create a free account.
