Removal of Cr (VI) from aqueous solution using VO2(B) nanoparticles

In this paper, we synthesize VO2(B) nanoparticles using the hydrothermal method and remove Cr(VI) from aqueous solution through the adsorption process. The adsorption process follows pseudo-first-order reaction kinetics and has been modeled using classical Langmuir and Temkin adsorption isotherms. The phase of synthesized VO2 nanomaterial is confirmed by XRD and indexed by JCPDS card no 65-7960. The Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) analysis confirms the presence of VO2 content in the sample. TEM revealed the microstructure of prepared nanoparticles; sizes were found in the range of 104.2-142.2 nm. Adsorption-desorption isotherm used to calculate the surface area of VO2 nanoparticles. Several parameters such as contact time, temperature effect, solution pH, adsorbate and adsorbent concentration were optimized for the analysis. The maximum adsorption capacity using nanoparticles was found to be 85 mg/g. This study indicated that VO2 nanoparticles can be used as an effective adsorbent for the removal of Cr ions from the aqueous solutions.