Novel cobalt-carbon@silica adsorbent.

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Nanotechnology
• Environmental Chemistry

Background:

• Carbon nanostructures offer unique properties for various applications.
• Cobalt-carbon nanocomposites (CoCNC) are synthesized using pyrolysis of anthracene with cobalt complexes.
• Silica-supported CoCNC (CoCNC@SiO2) can be tailored for enhanced functionalities.

Purpose of the Study:

• To synthesize and characterize cobalt-carbon nanocomposites (CoCNC) and silica-supported cobalt-carbon nanocomposites (CoCNC@SiO2).
• To evaluate the adsorption capacity of these nanocomposites for cationic dyes, specifically Basic Violet 3.
• To investigate the adsorption mechanism and thermodynamics for potential wastewater treatment applications.

Main Methods:

• Synthesis of CoCNC and CoCNC@SiO2 via pyrolysis of anthracene and cobalt complex at 600-850 °C.
• Characterization using SEM, TEM, PXRD, Raman spectroscopy, and XPS.
• Adsorption studies using batch experiments, Langmuir and Freundlich isotherm models, and kinetic studies.

Main Results:

• CoCNC and CoCNC@SiO2 were successfully synthesized, featuring core-shell structures of cobalt/cobalt oxide-graphite with or without silica support.
• XPS analysis confirmed the presence of oxygen functional groups, enhancing cationic dye uptake.
• CoCNC@SiO2 exhibited a higher adsorption capacity (19.4 mg g⁻¹) for Basic Violet 3 compared to CoCNC.
• Adsorption followed Freundlich isotherm and pseudo-second-order kinetics, with exothermic thermodynamics.

Conclusions:

• CoCNC@SiO2 is a highly effective adsorbent for Basic Violet 3 due to its structural properties and functional groups.
• The synthesized nanocomposites show promise for removing cationic dyes from wastewater.
• Further studies on regeneration and long-term performance are warranted.