Evaluation of catalytic and adsorption activity of iron nanoparticles greenly prepared under different conditions: Box–Behnken design

ABSTRACT

Box–Behnken design methodology was used to study the effect of iron nanoparticles (FeNP) synthesis conditions on its oxidative catalytic degradation and adsorption of methyl orange (MO). The FeNP was synthesised using Acacia nilotica pods extract under different conditions. Models were built at the 95% confidence level using Minitab-18 software based on five responses, namely: production yield (Y), adsorption capacity (q), pH of zero charge (pHzc), gap energy (E_gap), and degradation percentage after 60 min (R60). Results showed 100% degradation by 14/15 samples after 3 h, while more than 90% degradation was achieved after 1 h by 10/15 samples. On the other hand, more than 50% adsorption removal of MO was achieved by 8/15 samples. The minimum yield achieved was 13.09% and the maximum was 99.20%. More than 90% yield was achieved in 4/15 samples.

KEYWORDS:

• Nanoparticles
• degradation
• adsorption
• green synthesis
• Acacia nilotica
• Box–Behnken

Acknowledgements

The authors acknowledge the Department of Chemistry at King Faisal University for the support of this research, project number 186097.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by Deanship of Scientific Research, King Faisal University [grant number 186097].