Iron nanoparticles (IN) constitute a possible alternative technology in water remediation processes where pollutants are amenable to reduction more than to oxidation treatments. This work describes the preparation and characterization of zero valent iron-nanoparticles anchored to poly(acrylic acid)/poly(vinyl alcohol) (PAA/PVA) polymer fibers, and its application in the degradation of 2-nitrophenol (ONP) in aqueous solutions. The fibers were prepared by the electrospinning technique and immersed in an Iron(III) chloride (FeCl3) solution to adsorb Fe3+ ions that were subsequently reduced to elemental iron using sodium borohydride (NaBH4). The composite was evaluated by High Resolution Scanning Electron Microscopy, Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR) and Energy Dispersive Spectroscopy (EDS). The iron contained in the fibers varied from 4.00% to 8.00%, as quantified from the 1,10-phenanthroline method, and the average iron particle size was 113 ± 29 nm. The utility of the material was tested by carrying out the degradation of ONP in a 20 ppm aqueous solution. The concentration of ONP, as determined by UV-Vis analysis, was decreased by 44% after 3 hours of treatment. This result suggests that the material is a good alternative in the application of iron based technologies in environmental remediation.

Degradation of 2-nitrophenol using iron nanoparticles anchored to poly(acrylic acid) based electrospun fibers

251st National Meeting (2016)

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