Chitosan capped trimetallic nanoparticles: Synthesis and their Congo red adsorbing activities

Chitosan capped Fe⁰-based Fe-Pd-Ir (Chi-Fe-Pd-Ir) tri-metallic nanoparticles were fabricated using metal displacement method in presence of sodium borohydride. The preliminary indications of Fe⁰ production were the appearance of pale yellow color with ferric nitrate, NaBH₄, and chitosan. Chitosan was detected by using ninhydrin color test, thermal gravimetric analysis and measurement of relative viscosity. The average molecular weight of chitosan and Chi-Fe-Pd-Ir decreased with increased potassium persulfate concentration. Chi-Fe-Pd-Ir used as an adsorbent for the removal of Congo red. The sorption equilibrium data were fitted into Langmuir, Freundlich, Temkin, and Dubinin-Radushkevich isotherms (DRK). The maximum monolayer adsorption capacity (Q⁰_max), and sorption intensity (n) were estimated to be 93.4 mg/g and 2.0, respectively, from Langmuir and Freundlich adsorption isotherm models. The mean free energy was calculated by using DRK isotherm to be 0.15 kJ/mol. Sorption parameters indicate that the Congo red adsorbed on the surface of Chi-Fe-Pd-Ir through monolayer formation via physisorption process. The adsorption of CR on Chi-Fe-Pd-Ir was in good agreement with the Langmuir adsorption isotherm and pseudo-second-order kinetic model. Protonated amino group of chitosan was also responsible for the adsorption of anionic CR along with the Fe-Pd-Ir NPs.