The research was carried out by a team led by Praveen C. Ramamurthy of the Interdisciplinary Center for Water Research (ICWaR) at the Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru. , Photo credit: Sudhakar Jain
Researchers at the Indian Institute of Science (IISc) have developed a new nanocomposite material for better wastewater treatment.
A team from the Interdisciplinary Center for Water Research (ICWaR) at IISc, led by Praveen C. Ramamurthy, has developed a metal organic framework (MoF) nanocomposite combining the properties of graphene oxide and UiO-66-NDC.
heavy metals
According to IISc, industrial effluents containing heavy metals have polluted our water sources for decades. Lead, a heavy metal commonly found in discharge from paint and battery manufacturing plants, is a major water pollutant whose presence seriously affects human and animal health.
In recent years, scientists have turned to nanotechnology to develop absorbent materials that can remove heavy metals for better wastewater treatment.
However, existing adsorbent materials and technologies are expensive, and their applications are limited in where they can be applied and how efficiently they can lead. This demands the development of novel, low cost and structurally stable composite materials for wastewater treatment. For this, researchers at ICWaR have developed a new nanocomposite material.
Researchers have demonstrated that the new nanocomposite can adsorb lead (Pb) from simulated wastewater systems.
Four times the capacity to absorb lead ions from waste water
The team demonstrated that the newly developed MOF nanocomposite adsorbent has an approximately four-fold enhanced capacity to remove lead ions from wastewater compared to previously reported studies of graphene oxide. The material exhibits a stable crystalline structure. Modeling and simulation results also support an increased efficiency in lead adsorption due to the adsorbent molecular architecture.
The new nanocomposite has improved adsorption and higher regeneration and reusability capabilities, making it an effective tool in wastewater treatment of lead ions.