Development of iron-based nanoparticles for Cr(VI) removal from drinking water

¹ Department of Mechanical Engineering, School of Engineering, University of Thessaly, 38334 Volos, Greece
² Department of Physics, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, 54124 Thessaloniki, Greece
³ Departament d'Electrònica, MIND-IN2UB, Universitat de Barcelona, 08028 Barcelona, Spain
⁴ Institut de Ciència de Materials de Barcelona, Campus Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, 08193 Bellaterra, Spain
⁵ Procédés, Matériaux et Energie Solaire, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Odeillo, 66120 Font-Romeu, France
⁶ Analytical Chemistry Laboratory, Department of Chemical Engineering, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, 54124 Thessaloniki, Greece

Abstract

A great deal of research over recent decades has been motivated by the requirement to lower the concentration of chromium in drinking water. This study has been conducted to determine the feasibility of iron-based nanoparticles for chromium removal from contaminated water. Single Fe, Fe₃O₄ and binary Fe/Fe₃O₄ nanoparticles were grown at the 45-80 nm size range using the solar physical vapor deposition technique and tested as potential hexavalent chromium removing agents from aqueous solutions. Due to their higher electron donation ability compared to the Fe₃O₄ ones, single Fe nanoparticles exhibited the highest Cr(VI) removal capacity of more than 3 µg/mg while maintaining a residual concentration 50 µg/L, equal to the regulation limit for drinking water. In combination to their facile and fast magnetic separation, the applicability of the studied particles in water treatment facilities should be considered.