Design and Development of Novel Composites Containing Nickel Ferrites Supported on Activated Carbon Derived from Agricultural Wastes and Its Application in Water Remediation

Abstract

Recently, efficient decontamination of water and wastewater have attracted global attention due to the deficiency in the world’s water sources. Herein, activated carbon (AC) derived from willow catkins (WCs) was successfully synthesized using chemical modification techniques and then loaded with different weight percentages of nickel ferrite nanocomposites (10, 25, 45, and 65 wt.%) via a one-step hydrothermal method. The morphology, chemical structure, and surface composition of the nickel ferrite supported on AC (NFAC) were analyzed by XRD, TEM, SEM, EDX, and FTIR spectroscopy. Textural properties (surface area) of the nanocomposites (NC) were investigated by using Brunauer–Emmett–Teller (BET) analysis. The prepared nanocomposites were tested on different dyes to form a system for water remediation and make this photocatalyst convenient to recycle. The photodegradation of rhodamine B dye was investigated by adjusting a variety of factors such as the amount of nickel in nanocomposites, the weight of photocatalyst, reaction time, and photocatalyst reusability. The 45NFAC photocatalyst exhibits excellent degradation efficiency toward rhodamine B dye, reaching 99.7% in 90 min under a simulated source of sunlight. To summarize, NFAC nanocomposites are potential photocatalysts for water environmental remediation because they are effective, reliable, and reusable.

Natural-based coagulants/flocculants as sustainable market-valued products for industrial wastewater treatment: a review of recent developments

“…16,17 Lately, many developing nations have experienced challenges caused by industrial wastewater and many health problems have been recorded for plants, animals and humans. 18,19 This is due to the release of industrial effluents without adopting an effective treatment method. The conventional biological treatment processes have been reported insignicant by many researchers due to low biodegradation of many contaminants and dyes.…”

Carbon Adsorbents Obtained from Pistachio Nut Shells Used as Potential Ingredients of Drinking Water Filters

“…A highly developed specific surface area, appropriate porosity and a variety of surface groups of activated carbon make it a versatile and effective adsorbent of organic and inorganic compounds of various structure and molecule size. In addition to excellent adsorption properties, the production of activated carbon is relatively cheap, especially when bio-precursors, such as sawdust, nut shells, fruit stones or waste parts of plants, e.g., herbs, are used for its preparation [22][23][24][25].…”

Enhanced Photocatalytic Activity of the Bi2O3-NiO Heterojunction for the Degradation of Methyl Orange under Irradiation of Sunlight

“…Other sources such as science and technology, agriculture, and domestic activities also contribute to water pollution. However, the contribution to aqueous contamination by these various industries is very significant [1][2][3][4][5][6][7]. Various industries such as pharmaceutics, leather, textile, food, etc., are responsible for water pollution.…”