Chitosan-stabilized iron-copper nanoparticles for efficient removal of nitrate

Chitosan-stabilized iron-copper nanomaterials (CS-nZVI/Cu) were successfully prepared and applied to the nitrate removal. Batch experiments were conducted to examine the effects of experimental parameters on nitrate removal, including Cu loading, CS-nZVI/Cu dosages, initial nitrate concentrations, and initial pHs. From the experimental date, it was concluded that CS-nZVI/Cu has a high nitrate removal efficiency, which can be more than 97%, respectively, at Cu loading = 5%, dosages of CS-nZVI/Cu = 3 g/L, initial nitrate concentrations of 30~120 mg/L, and initial pH values = 2~9. Additionally, the kinetic data for CS-nZVI/Cu were found to fit well with the first-order kinetic model with a rate constant of 0.15 (mg∙L)^1-n/min, where n=1. The Langmuir model showed a good fit for NO₃^- removal, indicating that monolayer chemisorption occurred. The SEM and TEM analyses showed that the addition of chitosan resulted in improved dispersion of the CS-nZVI/Cu. The CS-nZVI/Cu nanomaterials have a more complete elliptical shape and are between 50 and 100 nm in size. The XRD analysis showed that the chitosan encapsulation reduced the oxidation of the iron component and the main product was Fe₃O₄. The FT-IR analysis showed that the immobilization of chitosan and the iron was accomplished by the ligand interaction. The nitrogen adsorption-desorption isotherm results showed that the CS-nZVI/Cu specific surface area and pore volume decreased significantly after the reaction. Adsorption, oxidation, and reduction are possible mechanisms for nitrate removal by CS-nZVI/Cu. The XPS analysis investigated the contribution of nZVI and Cu in the removal mechanism. Adding copper accelerates the reaction time and rate. In addition, nZVI played a vital role in reducing nitrate to N₂. Based on these results, it looks like CS-nZVI/Cu could be a satisfactory material for nitrate removal.