Degradation Kinetics of Methyl Orange Dye in Water Using Trimetallic Fe/Cu/Ag Nanoparticles

Abstract

The release of azo dye contaminants from textile industries into the environment is an issue of major concern. Nanoscale zerovalent iron (nZVI) has been extensively studied in the degradation of azo dye pollutants such as methyl orange (MO). In this study, iron was coupled with copper and silver to make trimetallic Fe/Cu/Ag nanoparticles, in order to enhance the degradation of MO and increase reactivity of the catalyst by delaying the rate of oxidation of iron. The synthesis of the trimetallic nanoparticles (Fe/Cu/Ag) was carried out using the sodium borohydride reduction method. The characterization of the particles was performed using XRD, XPS, EDX, and TEM. The analyses confirmed the successful synthesis of the nanoparticles; the TEM images also showed the desired structures and geometry of the nanoscale zerovalent iron particles. The assessment of the nanoparticles in the degradation of methyl orange showed a notable degradation within few minutes into the reaction. The effect of parameters such as nanoparticle dosage, initial MO concentration, and the solution pH on the degradation of MO using the nanoparticles was investigated. Methyl orange degradation efficiency reached 100% within 1 min into the reaction at a low pH, with lower initial MO concentration and higher nanoparticle dosage. The degradation rate of MO using the nanoparticles followed pseudo first-order kinetics and was greatly influenced by the studied parameters. Additionally, LC-MS technique confirmed the degradation of MO within 1 min and that the degradation occurs through the splitting of the azo bond. The Fe/Cu/Ag trimetallic nanoparticles have proven to be an appropriate and efficient alternative for the treatment of dye wastewater.

Green Synthesis of Homogeneous Gold Nanoparticles Using Sargassum spp. Extracts and Their Enhanced Catalytic Activity for Organic Dyes

“…It is observed that TOF has the same tendency as that of the adsorption capacity (q [µg•mg −1 ]); as the AuNPs concentration increases, the value of TOF is reduced. Again, these TOF values for dye degradation are consistent with values reported elsewhere for other nanoparticles [49,50].…”

Hydrogels Based on Poly([2-(acryloxy)ethyl] Trimethylammonium Chloride) and Nanocellulose Applied to Remove Methyl Orange Dye from Water

“…Most synthetic dyes are soluble in water, thanks to the ionizable groups that compose them, such as: -OH, -COOH, and -SO 3 H in acid dyes, and -NH 2 , -NHR, and -NR 2 in basic dyes. It is estimated between 50% and 70% of the world production of 10,000 synthetic dyes (dyes and distinctive dyes used in the textile industry) corresponds to azo dyes, which represent the class of compounds most used in textile and food processes [ 10 , 11 ]. The pH value of the aqueous medium favors the ionization of the groups, depending on the pKa value of the chemical species in the solution.…”

“…Additionally, it is an allergenic substance that can cause eczema upon contact with the skin. Its presence in living organisms is considered harmful and can lead to a significant increase in the activity of the azo-nitro-reductase enzymes, producing aromatic amines that may cause intestinal cancer [ 10 , 11 ].…”

Synthesis and potential applications of trimetallic nanostructures

“…The TMNs exhibited 100% degradation efficiency inside 1 min, whereas, Fe/Cu and Fe/Ag showed 100% and 69% in 10 and 15 min, respectively. 185 In another study, Emam and Ahmed 186 synthesized homo-metallic (Ag) and hetero-metallic (Ag-Au) and Ag-Au-Pd nanostructures with sizes of 9.1, 23.7, and 13.6 nm, respectively, using sequential reduction. The nanostructures were used for the degradation of MB and MO in the presence of sodium borohydride.…”