Abstract
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•AgOH-NPs loaded on MWCNTs used as adsorbent for the removal of UO22+ ions.•It exhibit excellent mechanical thermal stability, and large surface area (reactive sites).•Ultrasonic wave was used as motivation forces to facile the synthesis of AgOH-NPs.•CCD incorporated with RSM was used to optimize influential parameters.
Silver hydroxide nanoparticles (AgOH-NPs) were efficiently festooned onto multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) and characterized by analytical techniques such as SEM, FT-IR and BET analysis. These were used for the removal of radioactive uranium(VI) followed by its complexation with eriochrome cyanine R in the presence of cetyl trimethyl ammonium bromide (CTAB). The adsorption process and its mass transfer were accelerated and assisted using ultrasound waves. The AgOH-NPs–MWCNTs has large surface area that was suitable for qualitative and quantitative removal of UO22+ ion. The effect of several parameters was optimized by central composite design (CCD) and the respective value was set as follows: adsorbent mass (5mg), contact time (10min), initial UO22+ ions concentration (2mgL−1) and initial ECR concentration (8mgL−1). It was found that UO22+ ion adsorption follow combination of the pseudo-second-order rate equation and intraparticle diffusion model. Equilibrium data well fitted with the Freundlich model and reveal that the small amount (5mg) of AgOH-NPs–MWCNTs is sufficient for removal of high amount of UO22+ ion (R>96% and adsorption capacity of 140mgg−1) in a 10min contact time.