Single and simultaneous adsorption of methyl orange and phenol onto magnetic iron oxide/carbon nanocomposites

Magnetic iron oxide/carbon nanocomposites were synthesized by a facile, one-step solvothermal method. The magnetic nanopowders were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, thermal analysis (DSC-TG), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), specific surface area and particle size measurements, pore size distributions and magnetic properties. The magnetic nanopowders were tested as adsorbents for the removal of methyl orange (MO) and phenol (Ph) from aqueous solutions. The effects of solution pH, contact time, adsorbent dose and initial pollutants concentration on the adsorption of MO and phenol onto the investigated adsorbents were studied. A significant increase in the removal efficiency, both for MO and phenol, with the increase in the carbon content of the magnetic nanopowder was evidenced. New experimental data were provided regarding the bicomponent adsorption of MO and phenol. Pseudo-second order equation was fitted to the kinetic data and four isotherm models, namely Langmuir, Freundlich, Redlich-Peterson and Sips were used to analyze the equilibrium data in both single and binary-component solutions. The investigated adsorbents showed a higher adsorption capacity toward MO than phenol. The simultaneous adsorption of the two pollutants in bicomponent solutions indicated that the MO adsorption is practically not affected by the presence of phenol while the adsorption of phenol is significantly reduced in the presence of MO. The benefits of obtaining low-cost nanocomposites with adsorption capacity and magnetic separation tailored, effective in single and bicomponent adsorption of MO and phenol, represent strong arguments regarding their great potential for practical applications. (C) 2016 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. on behalf of King Saud University.