Preparation and characterization of zinc ferrite-Polyaniline-Graphene oxide nanocomposite for removal of Orange G and Malachite green dye from aqueous solution: as a model of water treatment and health environment

Abstract

In the present study, ZnFe₂O₄ nanoparticles were synthesized using an ultrasound- assisted Co-precipitation method and ZnFe₂O₄-PANI-GO nanocomposite was synthesized by in situ oxidative polymerization to form a three-dimensional network structure. The characterization of prepared nanomaterials was done through different techniques such as X-ray diffraction (XRD), Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscope (FE-SEM), elemental analyses (EDS & elemental mapping), Vibrating-Sample Magnetometer (VSM), Surface area analysis (BET & BJH), Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FT-IR), Atomic Force Microscope (AFM), and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). PANI, GO, and ZnFe₂O₄ ternary nanomaterials are wrapped together to form a three-dimensional porous nanostructure and homogeneously dispersed according to the EDS, elemental mapping, and FE-SEM images. The FT-IR Spectroscopy exhibits the emergence and shifts in the main bands and in addition XRD which the average it's crystal sizes (19.35 nm) for ZnFe₂O₄-PANI-GO are different from ZnFe₂O₄. Moreover, ZnFe₂O₄-PANI-GO was studied as an adsorbent to show (OG and MG dyes) adsorption from an aqueous solution. Thermodynamic factors (∆G°, ∆H°, and ∆S°) concluded that the adsorption of both dyes was spontaneous in nature and exothermic. The adsorption pursued pseudo-second-order kinetics. In addition, the isotherm models Freundlich, Langmuir, and Timken were used to model the experimental adsorption data. To match the experimental isotherm, the Langmuir isotherm was utilized.