Synthesis and Characterization of 2D Magnesium Oxide Nanoflakes: A Potential Nanomaterial for Effective Phosphate Removal from Wastewater

Phosphate containing untreated wastewater, discharged into water bodies, can cause eutrophication, leading to harmful effects on the ecosystem and human health. This study focuses on a simple, low-cost, and novel approach towards removing excess phosphate ions from aqueous solutions by adsorbing on onto two-dimensional (2-D) magnesium oxide nano-flakes (MONFs). The phosphate removal efficiency was tested with different concentrations of phosphate solutions (2-25 mg L-1), pH levels (3-11), adsorbent dosages (0.025-0.250 g), and contact times (10-50 min). The maximum phosphate removal percentage of 100 % was obtained with 50.0 mL of 3 mg L-1 phosphate solution using 0.125 g of the synthesized MONFs with a phosphate absorption capacity of 29.9 mg g(-1). Moreover, the adsorption data fit with the Freundlich isotherm, with an R-2 value of 0.952. The adsorption kinetic data follow the pseudo-second-order model, with an R-2 value of 0.995, suggesting that the adsorption process is chemisorption.