Pivotal Adsorption of Heavy metal ion by Marvelous Carbon Nanomaterials Impregnated with Nanometal synthesized from Agro-waste Cauliflower Leaves

Abstract

Nanoparticles, with a diameters upto100nm, exhibit a heightened surface-to-volume ratio which allows a greater participation of active surface atoms, fostering improvements in material properties and enhancing implementation. The current work involves acquisition of abundantly, non-edible, and easily available agro-waste cauliflower leaves; pyrolyzed in an inert atmosphere at particular temperature to generate carbon materials. Additionally, the material is activated by using definite concentration of alkali solution followed by impregnation of copper metal and processed with annealing to obtain a desire adsorbent carbon nanomaterial. Adsorption of heavy metal ions [Ag(I)] at pH 6 gives significant result of 96% verified by ICP-AES analysis. Characterization as well as morphology of adsorbent was examined through SEM and HR-TEM. Moreover, XRD revealed the presence of graphitic and amorphous carbon whereas BET prominently explained the specific surface area, pore volume and porosity of the synthesized carbon nanomaterial impregnated with copper nanometal.

Introduction

I. INTRODUCTION

The availability of clean, safe and sufficient amount of drinking water is becoming more scarce worldwide (Conde-Gonzalez, et.al., 2016). AgNO3 customarily use in electroplating, photography to sensitize film, mirror production to create reflective layer on glass, laboratory testing for various analytical purposes, staining of DNA, RNA and protein in Gel electrophoresis, various ink formulation industries, textile industry for dyeing and printing etc. (Omri and Benzina, 2012). However significant amount of Ag (I) ion is released as effluent at an alarming rate leading to toxicity in living organism due to its bioaccumulation in aquatic ecosystem, which is ultimately harmful to human being via food-chain. (Chaoqun et.al., 2020).

The excessive exposure to silver ion can lead to argyria, a condition where skin turns bluish-gray due to the deposition of silver particles. (Njewa et.al., 2022). Long-term ingestion or exposure to high concentration of silver can also potentially cause other health issues such as damage to the liver and kidneys. Beyond gastrointestinal symptoms, neurological manifestations encompass tremors, seizures, and the onset of coma. (Tewari et.al., 2023).

The escalating adoption of silver particles for commercial applications is undeniably heightening the environmental and population exposure to silver. The renewed interest in silver is propelled by the surge in antibiotic-resistant bacteria and the escalating incidence of hospital-acquired bacterial infections. The confluence of these factors underscores the imperative to scrutinize the potential consequences of widespread silver particle utilization on both ecosystem and public health. (Chaloupka et.al.,2010 and Conde-Gonzalez et.al., 2016).

Properties possesses by silver like malleability, ductility, thermal, lustrous and highest electrical conductivity along with anti-microbial characteristic, making it versatile material with diverse applications. Silver is deemed of particular economic significance in a wide array of applications. (Omri and Benzina, 2012). Therefore, the extraction of silver from waste water can be economically converted into valuable product.

Several methods are employed for the removal of heavy metal ion like membrane filtration, chelation, biological methods, cyanidation process, electrochemical recovery, solvent extraction precipitation, ion exchange and adsorption. (Bisht et.al., 2017, Mukherjee et.al., 2023 and Vazquez et.al., 2014).

The integration of nanotechnology specifically the utilization of carbon nanomaterials impregnated with copper nanometal (Cu-CNMs) synthesized from agro-waste through adsorption technique, stands out as a comprehensive and leading-edge solution for the sustainable, highly efficient and economically viable to eliminate heavy metal ion from waste water.

In recent years most of the researchers have tried to synthesize carbon materials to expunge Ag (I) ion from waste water by using different sources and precursor like chitosan (Jintakosola and Nitayaphatb, 2016), petroleum pitch, zeolites, lignite, fruits peels, fly-ash, potato peel, (Njewa et.al., 2022), coir pith (Kavitha and Namasivayam, 2007), etc. but they have certain drawbacks. Moreover, vegetable waste, a crucial category of residues, are generated abundantly in food and beverage operations, wholesale markets and agricultural practices. In addition, cauliflower leaf is rich in cellulose and lignin, making it suitable for the synthesis of caron nanomaterials (CNMs), a highly effective adsorbent, due to its porous structure and expansive surface area, rendering it well-suited for various application in future. (Ge et.al., 2020)

The worldwide production of cauliflower is more than 20 million tons annually. The crop is cultivated across 3.8 million hectares in nearly 150 different nations, with China and India playing significant roles as major contributors to this agricultural production. (Ansari et.al., 2016 and Kumari, et.al., 2020). The leaf of this vegetable being unpalatable, often considered as waste product; due to its high moisture content, can be gainfully utilized as a potential adsorbent for the elimination of silver metal ion from waste water. Improper disposal of this waste creates public nuisances, emphasizing the importance of incorporating it into enormous adsorbent preparations for effective solid waste management. (Yadav et.al., 2019).

The main objective of the present study highlights preparation of Cu-CNMs from cauliflower leaves and assess its adsorbing capacity for the removal of silver metal ion from waste water; SEM, HRTEM, XRD and BET were also investigated in order to have a clear understanding about the morphology, porosity and specific surface area of CNMs.

II. EXPERIMENTAL TECHNIQUES

All the chemicals involved in the study are of Analytical grade reagent. Double distilled water is accompanied as solvent and also for all dilution purpose.

A. Synthesis of Cu-CNMs from cauliflower leaves

The work includes collection of cauliflower leaves from nearby local market, were pyrolyzed by maintaining an inert atmosphere using argon gas at a temperature of 500°C to generate carbon material. Activation of carbon material is carried out by using NaOH solution followed by impregnation of copper metal. Finally, annealing is accomplished to synthesize Cu-CNMs at a temperature of 550°C in the presence of CO2 gas. The prepared material is highly porous along with exclusive specific surface area which will be a remarkable adsorbent for adsorption of heavy metal ion from wastewater.

B. Adsorption of heavy metal ions

Initially 1000ppm stock solution of Ag(I) metal ion was prepared by adding appropriate amount of AgNO3 salt in double distilled water. Then working standard solution of 10ppm was prepared by diluting stock solution to particular volumes.

Further, the experiment of adsorption was carried out by adding suitable amount of adsorbent in 10ml of working standard solution at room temperature. Then the solution was kept inside digitally controlled shaker machine for 30 minutes, filtered and used.

Finally, concentration of the Ag(I) ions in the filtrate was detected by using inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectroscopy (ICP-AES) [Make: SPECTRO Analytical Instruments Gmbh, Germany; Model: ARCOS, Simultaneously ICP Spectrometer having wavelength range130nm to 770nm with the resolution of 9 picometer. R.F. Generator maximum of 1.6KW and 27.12MHz.]

The percentage adsorption of Ag(I) metal ion was determined by knowing the initial (Ci) and final (Cf) concentration of solution using the following relationship. (Mukherjee et.al., 2023)

IV. ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

The author extends heartfelt thanks to SAIF, IITB for carrying out ICPAES analysis. The author also acknowledges ICON LAB (Mumbai) and SMART Instrument LAB (Mumbai) for his contribution in conducting the characterization of synthesized CNMs.

Conclusion

The current study presented the synthesis of copper impregnated CNMs from agro-waste cauliflower leaves results a promising option for adsorption of heavy metal ion from waste water. The scientific data obtained through SEM, HR-TEM, XRD and BET explains the surface characteristic and morphology of carbon material. From ICP-AES scrutiny of adsorbent has a requisite site for adsorption of Ag(I) at pH 6 with the efficiency of 96%. Hence a waste material is converted into a valuable resource which not only minimizes environmental impact but also offers cost-effective solutions.

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Copyright

Copyright © 2024 Bholanath T. Mukherjee, Pooja O. Jayswal, Arati D. Nandapure. This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.