Title
As(III) removal from aqueous solution by calcium titanate nanoparticles prepared by the sol gel method
Date Issued
01 May 2019
Access level
open access
Resource Type
journal article
Author(s)
Espinoza-González R.
Gracia F.
Rodrigues-Filho U.P.
Flores M.
Publisher(s)
Multidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute (MDPI)
Abstract
Arsenic (As) contamination of water is a serious problem in developing countries. In water streams, arsenic can be as As(V) and As(III), the latter being the most toxic species. In this work, an innovative adsorbent based on CaTiO3 nanoparticles (CTO) was prepared by the sol-gel technique for the removal of As(III) from aqueous solution. X-ray diffraction of the CTO nanoparticles powders confirmed the CTO phase. Transmission electron microscopy observations indicated an average particle size of 27 nm, while energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy analysis showed the presence of Ca, Ti, and O in the expected stoichiometric amounts. The surface specific area measured by Brunauer, Emmett, and Teller (BET) isotherm was 43.9 m2/g, whereas the isoelectric point determined by Zeta Potential measurements was at pH 3.5. Batch adsorption experiments were used to study the effect of pH on the equilibrium adsorption of As(III), using an arsenite solution with 15 mg/L as initial concentration. The highest removal was achieved at pH 3, reaching an efficiency of up to 73%, determined by X-ray fluorescence from the residual As(III) in the solution. Time dependent adsorption experiments at different pHs exhibited a pseudo-second order kinetics with an equilibrium adsorption capacity of 11.12 mg/g at pH 3. Moreover, CTO nanoparticles were regenerated and evaluated for four cycles, decreasing their arsenic removal efficiency by 10% without affecting their chemical structure. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy analysis of the CTO surface after removal experiments, showed that arsenic was present as As(III) and partially oxidized to As(V).
Volume
9
Issue
5
Language
English
OCDE Knowledge area
Nano-tecnología Química medicinal
Scopus EID
2-s2.0-85067103881
Source
Nanomaterials
Sponsor(s)
Funding: This research was funded by CONICYT-Chile, grant number FONDECYT Regular 1150652 (R.E.-G.) and 1171193 (F.G.). Authors F.G. and R.E.-G. also acknowledge the support of MINECON-Chile through project Millennium Nucleus MULTIMAT-ICM/MINECON. R. Tamayo-Calderon would like to thank the scholarship support N◦ 078-FINCYT-BDE-2014 (FINCyT/INNOVATE, Perú), and also to Prof. Lorena Cornejo (Universidad de Tarapacá) for her support in the experimental set up.
Sources of information: Directorio de Producción Científica Scopus