Fabrication of biopolymer containing zero-valent iron nanoparticles for environmental treatment

Abstract

Environmental pollution is posing hazardous impact on our lives, requiring innovative and effective methods and materials for the treatment process. In this research, the biopolymer containing zero-valent iron nanoparticles is synthesized using the green chemistry method and then coated with a biopolymer (Calcium Alginate) using the dropping method and solidified in CaCl₂. Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM), X-Ray Diffraction (XRD), Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) are the methods used to study the morphology and structure of the biopolymer. Analytical results show that the form of material is alginate polymer particles with an average diameter of 2mm containing iron particles with the average size of 100nm. The material has the ability to treat Rhodamine B (RhB) effectively in the absence of the light source, and it is simple to collect and reuse. The efficiency of RhB removal is affected by the ratio of components in the material, the pH of the treated solution, which is evaluated by Ultraviolet-Visible (UV-Vis) method.