Synthesis of Silver-Impregnated Magnetite Mesoporous Silica Composites for Removing Iodide in Aqueous Solution

Abstract

Mag@silica-Ag composite has a high sorption ability for I− in aqueous solution due to its high surface area and strong affinity for the studied anion. The material adsorbed I− rapidly during the initial contact time (in 45 min, η = 80%) and reached adsorption equilibrium after 2 h. Moreover, mag@silica-Ag proved to selectively remove I− from a mixture of Cl−, NO3− and I−. The adsorption behavior fitted the Langmuir isotherm perfectly and the pseudo-second-order kinetic model. Based on the Langmuir isotherm, the maximum adsorption capacity of mag@silica-Ag was 0.82 mmol/g, which is significantly higher than previously developed adsorbents. This study introduces a practical application of a high-capacity adsorbent in removing radioactive I− from wastewaters.

Keywords

• iodine
• radionuclide
• radioactive liquid waste
• mesoporous silica
• adsorption