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. 2017 Mar 18;7(3):68.
doi: 10.3390/nano7030068.

Magnetic Hybrid Nanosorbents for the Uptake of Paraquat from Water

Tiago Fernandes  1 , Sofia F Soares  2 , Tito Trindade  3 , Ana L Daniel-da-Silva  4
Affiliations

Magnetic Hybrid Nanosorbents for the Uptake of Paraquat from Water

Tiago Fernandes et al. Nanomaterials (Basel). .

Abstract

Although paraquat has been banned in European countries, this herbicide is still used all over the world, thanks to its low-cost, high-efficiency, and fast action. Because paraquat is highly toxic to humans and animals, there is interest in mitigating the consequences of its use, namely by implementing removal procedures capable of curbing its environmental and health risks. This research describes new magnetic nanosorbents composed of magnetite cores functionalized with bio-hybrid siliceous shells, that can be used to uptake paraquat from water using magnetically-assisted procedures. The biopolymers κ-carrageenan and starch were introduced into the siliceous shells, resulting in two hybrid materials, Fe₃O₄@SiO₂/SiCRG and Fe₃O₄@SiO₂/SiStarch, respectively, that exhibit a distinct surface chemistry. The Fe₃O₄@SiO₂/SiCRG biosorbents displayed a superior paraquat removal performance, with a good fitting to the Langmuir and Toth isotherm models. The maximum adsorption capacity of paraquat for Fe₃O₄@SiO₂/SiCRG biosorbents was 257 mg·g-1, which places this sorbent among the best systems for the removal of this herbicide from water. The interesting performance of the κ-carrageenan hybrid, along with its magnetic properties and good regeneration capacity, presents a very efficient way for the remediation of water contaminated with paraquat.

Keywords: adsorption; bio-hybrids; magnetic nanoparticles; paraquat.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Structure of (a) κ-carrageenan; (b) starch, which contains (top) amylose (linear, 20 %); (bottom) amylopectin (branched, 80%) linked by glycosidic bonds and (c) paraquat.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) images of (A) Fe3O4; (B) Fe3O4@SiO2; (C) Fe3O4@SiO2/SiStarch and (D) Fe3O4@SiO2/SiCRG.
Figure 3
Figure 3
Attenuated total reflectance Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (ATR-FTIR) spectra (400–2000 cm−1) of the samples: (a) Fe3O4; (b) Fe3O4@SiO2; (c) Fe3O4@SiO2/SiStarch; (d) Fe3O4@SiO2/SiCRG. Scheme illustrating the formation of urethane bonds in the biopolymer-silica matrix with (e) κ-carrageenan and (f) amylose from starch.
Figure 4
Figure 4
The performance of the bio-hybrids for the removal of paraquat (90 μg/mL) from water at pH 7.3, 25 °C.
Figure 5
Figure 5
Time profile of adsorption capacity of κ-carrageenan hybrids at variable paraquat initial concentrations (pH 7.3, 25 °C).
Figure 6
Figure 6
Modeling of adsorption kinetics of paraquat onto Fe3O4@SiO2/SiCRG particles using pseudo 1st and 2nd order kinetic equations and the Elovich kinetic model, for an initial paraquat concentration of 90 μg/mL.
Figure 7
Figure 7
The effect of pH on the removal of paraquat from water using the Fe3O4@SiO2/SiCRG hybrids.
Figure 8
Figure 8
Isotherm data and corresponding model fitting for the adsorption of paraquat on the Fe3O4@SiO2/SiCRG biosorbents.
Figure 9
Figure 9
The reuse performance of the Fe3O4@SiO2/SiCRG hybrids in the removal of paraquat from water.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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