Water-Dispersible Magnetic Particle-Graphene Oxide Composites: Synthesis, Characterization and Application in the Removal of Selenium Oxyanions

• Author / Creator

  Fu, You

• Selenium is toxic in excess with a high mobility in water. Existing adsorbents only show some removal capacity for selenite but perform poorly (typical removal percentage < 50 %) for selenate, the more bioavailable and soluble species. In this thesis, two Magnetic particle-Graphene Oxide composites (MGOs) were synthesized, characterized and applied to selenium removal from simulated water, with an significant removal percentage of > 99.9 % for selenite and 80 – 95 % for selenate at pH ~ 6 within 10 seconds. Acidic pH and low temperature could enhance the selenium adsorption on MGOs. It is proposed that the selenium adsorption on MGOs involves the formation of inner-sphere and outer-sphere complexes. MGOs can be separated effectively under an external magnetic field and recycle. Our results show that MGOs composites have excellent removal capability of selenite and selenate from simulated water and can be applied for the removal of selenium from wastewater.

• Subjects / Keywords

  • Selenium
  • Magnetic nanoparticle
  • Graphene oxide
  • Adsorption

• Graduation date

  Spring 2014

• Type of Item

  Thesis

• Degree

  Master of Science

• DOI

  https://doi.org/10.7939/R34M4T

• License

  This thesis is made available by the University of Alberta Libraries with permission of the copyright owner solely for non-commercial purposes. This thesis, or any portion thereof, may not otherwise be copied or reproduced without the written consent of the copyright owner, except to the extent permitted by Canadian copyright law.