Novel deep eutectic solvent-functionalized carbon nanotubes adsorbent for mercury removal from water

Mohamed Khalid AlOmar; Mohammed Abdulhakim Alsaadi; Taha M Jassam; Shatirah Akib; Mohd Ali Hashim

doi:10.1016/j.jcis.2017.03.014

Novel deep eutectic solvent-functionalized carbon nanotubes adsorbent for mercury removal from water

J Colloid Interface Sci. 2017 Jul 1:497:413-421. doi: 10.1016/j.jcis.2017.03.014. Epub 2017 Mar 6.

Authors

Mohamed Khalid AlOmar¹, Mohammed Abdulhakim Alsaadi², Taha M Jassam³, Shatirah Akib⁴, Mohd Ali Hashim⁵

Affiliations

¹ Department of Civil Engineering, University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur 50603, Malaysia; University of Malaya Centre for Ionic Liquids, University Malaya, Kuala Lumpur 50603, Malaysia.
² University of Malaya Centre for Ionic Liquids, University Malaya, Kuala Lumpur 50603, Malaysia; Nanotechnology & Catalysis Research Centre (NANOCAT), IPS Building, University of Malaya, 50603 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia; National Chair of Materials Science and Metallurgy, University of Nizwa, Oman. Electronic address: mdsd68j@gmail.com.
³ Civil Engineering Department, Faculty of Engineering, Technology and Built Environment, UCSI University, Kuala Lumpur 56000, Malaysia.
⁴ School of Energy, Geoscience, Infrastructure and Society (EGIS), Heriot-Watt University Malaysia, 62200 Putrajaya, Malaysia.
⁵ University of Malaya Centre for Ionic Liquids, University Malaya, Kuala Lumpur 50603, Malaysia; Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur 50603, Malaysia.

PMID: 28314146
DOI: 10.1016/j.jcis.2017.03.014

Abstract

Due to the interestingly tolerated physicochemical properties of deep eutectic solvents (DESs), they are currently in the process of becoming widely used in many fields of science. Herein, we present a novel Hg²⁺ adsorbent that is based on carbon nanotubes (CNTs) functionalized by DESs. A DES formed from tetra-n-butyl ammonium bromide (TBAB) and glycerol (Gly) was used as a functionalization agent for CNTs. This novel adsorbent was characterized using Raman spectroscopy, Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, XRD, FESEM, EDX, BET surface area, and Zeta potential. Later, Hg²⁺ adsorption conditions were optimized using response surface methodology (RSM). A pseudo-second order model accurately described the adsorption of Hg²⁺. The Langmuir and Freundlich isotherm models described the absorption of Hg²⁺ on the novel adsorbent with acceptable accuracy. The maximum adsorption capacity was found to be 177.76mg/g.

Keywords: Adsorption; Carbon nanotubes; Deep eutectic solvents; Functionalization; Mercury.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't