US EPA

7484267 

Journal Article 

Novel nanostructured iron oxide cryogels for arsenic (As(III)) removal 

Otero-González, L; Mikhalovsky, SV; Václavíková, M; Trenikhin, MV; Cundy, AB; Savina, IN 

2020 

Yes 

Journal of Hazardous Materials
ISSN: 0304-3894
EISSN: 1873-3336 

381 

120996 

English 

31445473 

10.1016/j.jhazmat.2019.120996 

WOS:000504778400067 

Novel macroporous iron oxide nanocomposite cryogels were synthesized and assessed as arsenite (As(III)) adsorbents. The two-step synthesis method, by which a porous nanonetwork of iron oxide is firstly formed, allowed a homogeneous dispersion of the iron oxide in the cryogel reaction mixture, regardless of the nature of the co-polymer forming the cryogel structure. The cryogels showed excellent mechanical properties, especially the acrylamide-based cryogel. This gel showed the highest As(III) adsorption capacity, with the maximum value estimated at 118 mg/g using the Langmuir model. The immobilization of the nanostructured iron oxide gel into the cryogel matrix resulted in slower adsorption kinetics, however the cryogels offer the advantage of a stable three-dimensional structure that impedes the release of the iron oxide nanoparticles into the treated effluent. A preliminary toxicity evaluation of the cryogels did not indicate any apparent inhibition of human hepatic cells activity, which together with their mechanical stability and high adsorption capacity for As(III) make them excellent materials for the development of nanoparticle based adsorption devices for drinking water treatment.