Iron Oxide (Fe3o4)-Supported Sio2 Magnetic Nanocomposites For Efficient Adsorption Of Fluoride From Drinking Water: Synthesis, Characterization, And Adsorption Isotherm Analysis

This research work reports the magnetic adsorption of fluoride from drinking water through silica-coated Fe3O4 nanoparticles. Chemical precipitation and wet impregnation methods were employed to synthesize the magnetic nanomaterials. Moreover, the synthesized nanomaterials were characterized for physicochemical properties through scanning electron microscopy, Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, and X-ray powder diffraction. Screening studies were conducted to select the best iron oxide loading (0.0-1.5 wt%) and calcination temperature (300-500 degrees C). The best selected nanomaterial (0.5Fe-Si-500) showed a homogenous FeO distribution with a 23.79 nm crystallite size. Moreover, the optimized reaction parameters were: 10 min of contact time, 0.03 g L--(1) adsorbent dose, and 10 mg L-1 fluoride (F-) concentration. Adsorption data were fitted to the Langmuir and Freundlich isotherm models. The Q(m) and K-F (the maximum adsorption capacities) values were 5.5991 mg g(-1) and 1.869 L g(-)(1) respectively. Furthermore, accelerated adsorption with shorter contact times and high adsorption capacity at working pH was among the outcomes of this research work.