Efficient and Rapid Removal of Environmental Malignant Arsenic(III) and Industrial Dyes Using Reusable, Recoverable Ternary Iron Oxide - ORMOSIL - Reduced Graphene Oxide Composite

Abstract

In this work, we have demonstrated an efficient and simple reusable catalyst, which can be operated on site for water remediation. In the present report, we have proposed a near 100% dye adsorption and the effective removal of arsenic(III) using a ternary composite consisting of ORMOSIL-Fe3O4-RGO. A simple and low-temperature synthesis to prepare an ORMOSIL-Fe3O4-RGO composite has been developed as a one stop solution for water remediation. Particularly, this composite was employed for the elimination of arsenite (III) ions and Rhodamine B dye from water, which has a huge impact in developing/underdeveloped countries in South Asian and some of the American regions. The structural, physical, and chemical properties of this composite were investigated through various characterization techniques like powder X-ray diffraction (PXRD), fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), energy dispersion X-ray (EDS), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and vibrating sample magnetometer (VSM). Using Langmuir isotherms, we calculated the adsorption capacity of the ORMOSIL-Fe3O4-RGO composite for Rhodamine B to be ∼1339 mg/g, which is much higher as compared to that of the Fe3O4-RGO composite (∼342 mg/g). Furthermore, the capacity of arsenic adsorption of this novel composite material is ∼25% higher than that of Fe3O4-RGO according to the Langmuir adsorption isotherm.