Nano-crystalline metal oxides have proposed wide applicability for environmental remediation due to their enhanced physical and chemical properties, namely increased sorption capacity and photocatalytic capabilities, compared to their bulk counterparts. Often, enhanced adsorption is attributed to the increase in surface area per volume or mass ratio. However, once in the nano-regime (typically defined as <100nm) other physical properties such as particle morphology and crystallinity can contribute to adsorption performance. In this study, selenium (Se), an inorganic contaminant that is highly toxic to aquatic and wild life, is utlizied as a model adsorbate. Isomorphic nano-a-Al2O3 and nano-a-Fe2O3, across a range of different sizes and morphologies, serve as model adsorbents to probe how certain physical surface characteristics impact Se adsorption capacity. Our research shows that an increase in specific surface area does not correlate to an increase in sorption capacity, and that nano-a-Fe2O3 has improved adsorption ability over previously reported single-phase iron and aluminum oxides. These findings contribute to a more comprehensive understanding of the specific physicochemical properties associated with adsorption of anionic inorganic contaminants. Furthermore, this research demonstrates the potential utlility of nano-a-Fe?2?O?3 as an enhanced and more sustainable Se remediation technology.

Identification of physicochemical properties associated with enhanced anionic adsorption of Se via nano-a-Al2O3 and nano-a-Fe2O3

248th National Meeting (2014)

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