Polycyclic
aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are complex molecules produced by the
thermal decomposition of organic
matter in anthropogenic activities. Novel composites with enhanced
physicochemical properties aim to overcome limitations such as adsorption
capacity, affinity, and stability for PAHs adsorption. Composites
based on chitosan are promising due to the good biocompatibility and
adsorption properties. This study focuses on the facile preparation
of chitosan beads modified with iron oxide (FeO) and titanium dioxide
(TiO
2
) nanoparticles via ionic cross-linking (Ch-FeO/TiO
2
). FeO and TiO
2
were synthesized performing co-precipitation
and green chemistry methods, respectively. The characterization evidenced
the formation of Ch-FeO/TiO
2
with good crystallinity, excellent
thermal stability, and superparamagnetic response, attributed to the
presence of FeO and TiO
2
nanoparticles. High thermal stability
up to 270 °C was related to the cross-linked chitosan network.
The enhanced adsorption mechanism of Ch-FeO/TiO
2
was determined
by removing naphthalene from water and seawater samples. The Ch-FeO/TiO
2
showed a higher adsorption capacity of 33.1 mg/g compared
to 29.8 mg/g of the unmodified chitosan (un-Ch) beads. This is due
to the higher functional surface area of 27.13 m
2
/g, compared
to that of 0.708 m
2
/g for un-Ch. We found a rapid adsorption
rate of 240 min and the maximum adsorption capacity of 149.3 mg/g
for Ch-FeO/TiO
2
. A large number of actives sites allows
for increasing the naphthalene molecules interaction. Adsorption in
seawater samples from Cartagena Bay (Colombia) exhibits an outstanding
efficiency of up to 90%. These results suggest a promising, cheap,
and environmentally friendly composite for remediation of water sources
contaminated with complex compounds.
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