Preparation and characterization of rice husk activated carbon-supported zinc oxide nanocomposite (RHAC-ZnO-NC)
Adewumi O. Dada,
Adejumoke A. Inyinbor,
Blessing E. Tokula,
Olugbenga S. Bello,
Ujjwal Pal
Affiliations
Adewumi O. Dada
Industrial Chemistry Programme, Nanotechnology Laboratory, Department of Physical Sciences, Landmark University, P.M.B.1001, Omu-Aran, Kwara, Nigeria; Department of Energy and Environmental Engineering, CSIR-Indian Institute of Chemical Technology, Hyderabad, India; Landmark University SDG 6 (Clean Water and Sanitation), Nigeria; Landmark University SDG 11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities), Nigeria; Landmark University SDG 12 (Responsible Consumption and Production), Nigeria; Corresponding authors.
Adejumoke A. Inyinbor
Industrial Chemistry Programme, Nanotechnology Laboratory, Department of Physical Sciences, Landmark University, P.M.B.1001, Omu-Aran, Kwara, Nigeria; Landmark University SDG 6 (Clean Water and Sanitation), Nigeria; Landmark University SDG 11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities), Nigeria
Blessing E. Tokula
Industrial Chemistry Programme, Nanotechnology Laboratory, Department of Physical Sciences, Landmark University, P.M.B.1001, Omu-Aran, Kwara, Nigeria; Landmark University SDG 6 (Clean Water and Sanitation), Nigeria; Landmark University SDG 11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities), Nigeria; Corresponding authors.
Olugbenga S. Bello
Department of Pure and Applied Chemistry, Ladoke Akintola University of Technology, Ogbomoso, Nigeria; Landmark University SDG 6 (Clean Water and Sanitation), Nigeria; Landmark University SDG 11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities), Nigeria
Ujjwal Pal
Department of Energy and Environmental Engineering, CSIR-Indian Institute of Chemical Technology, Hyderabad, India; Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSIR), Ghaziabad 201002, India
Indiscriminate waste discharge into water bodies has increased the level of water pollution via anthropogenic activities. Hence the need for the development of sustainable and environmentally benign nanomaterials has the potential for wastewater treatment. Rice husk activated carbon (RHAC) prepared by orthophosphoric acid activation was successfully loaded with freshly prepared ZnO nanoparticles by a bottom-up approach via precipitation method resulting in the RHAC-ZnO-NC. RHAC-ZnO-NC's mineralogy with 72% zincite was determined by XRD, morphology by SEM, and the functional group by FTIR. The physicochemical parameters showed surface area 615.2 m2 g-1, pH (pzc) (6.62), pH (6.53), bulk density (0.88 g/cm3), ash content (18.45%), and volatile matter (58.08%). The porosity was determined by iodine number. Boehm titration was carried out for oxygen-bearing functional group determination. The study substantiated RHAC-ZnO-NC as a promising material for adsorption and photocatalytic degradation.
