Application of the Zn0.5Mn0.5Fe2O4–PMMA nanocomposite for efficient removal of complex organic pollutants

Abstract

Nanomaterials are promising candidates to overcome the water quality issues caused by dye consuming industries. However, their restricted efficiency in water treatment hinders their practical applications, particularly in the case of dispersed nanomaterials used in water systems. This study presents a novel approach for immobilizing ferromagnetic nanocomposites on a polymeric microporous structure. 100 mg L⁻¹ Zn_0.5Mn_0.5Fe₂O₄ nanocomposites (NCPs) were embedded into poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA), eliminating the need to retrieve the dispersed nanomaterials after water treatment. The developed Zn_0.5Mn_0.5Fe₂O₄–PMMA nanocomposite was characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy. The removal of two commercial dyes (Brilliant Blue and Allura Red) at concentration levels of (0, 25, 35, 50, 70, and 100 mg L⁻¹) was examined by batch adsorption studies followed by ultraviolet-visible (UV-vis) spectrophotometry quantification. It was observed that the maximum removal percentage was obtained for the embedded Zn_0.5Mn_0.5Fe₂O₄ nanoparticles on the PMMA polymer using 100 mg of Zn_0.5Mn_0.5Fe₂O₄ NCPs for all the four dye levels in comparison to dispersed Zn_0.5Mn_0.5Fe₂O₄ nanocomposites. It was observed that the maximum adsorption of Brilliant Blue and Allura Red was obtained under alkaline conditions, pH 7.32 and 8.37, respectively. It was suggested that Zn_0.5Mn_0.5Fe₂O₄–PMMA can be applied as a sustainable material to enhance water treatment efficiency by merging the advantages of a fast preparation technique and a higher adsorption capacity to remove complex organic contaminants.