Degradation of rhodamine B using FeS‐coated zero‐valent iron nanoparticles in the presence of dissolved oxygen

Abstract

In this study, we have developed a novel and simple method to prepare Fe/FeS core‐shell nanoparticles using thioacetamide. The Fe/FeS nanoparticles were characterized by X‐ray diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) in conjunction with EDX analysis. The performance of Fe/FeS nanoparticles was evaluated as catalyst to activate molecular oxygen for Rhodamine B (RhB) removal in aqueous solution. The Fe/FeS nanoparticles shows a much higher reactivity on the activation of molecular oxygen than the pure Fe nanoparticles. A complete set of control experiments were conducted to optimize the reaction conditions, including the dosage of Fe/FeS nanoparticles, the RhB concentration, as well as the initial pH value. Moreover, the free radical quenching studies indicated the generation of the reactive oxygen species, namely hydroxyl radicals ( • OH) and superoxide radical anions ( ), and • OH is the predominant one in Fe/FeS‐activated molecular oxygen system. The study reveals that Fe/FeS nanoparticles are a promising candidate for the efficient removal of pollutants. © 2016 American Institute of Chemical Engineers Environ Prog, 35: 1673–1678, 2016