Synthesis of amorphous carbon functionalized Fe3O4 nanoparticles as a smart nanosorbent for organic dyes removal

A core-shell Fe3O4@C nanocomposite consisting of a layer of amorphous carbon functionalized on the Fe3O4 surface has been synthesized via a simple hydrothermal process of a suspension of Fe3O4 nanoparticles and glucose. Using this approach, the thickness of the amorphous carbon shell can be well controlled by changing the mass ratio of Fe3O4 nanoparticles to glucose. The specific characteristics of Fe3O4@C were also analyzed. The results obtained revealed that the adsorption of methylene blue (MB) onto the Fe3O4@C nanosorbent is strongly dependent on the thickness of the carbon shell. The Fe3O4@C nanosorbent could be recovered for reuse with 83% effective removal at the 5th cycle. With its excellent performance, Fe3O4@C nanocomposite has great potential applications as a smart nanosorbent, including high adsorption capacity, recoverability and recyclability for organic dye removal.

Automated summary

A core-shell Fe3O4@C nanocomposite with controlled amorphous carbon shell thickness was synthesized using a hydrothermal process of Fe3O4 nanoparticles and glucose. The adsorption capacity of the Fe3O4@C nanosorbent for methylene blue was found to be dependent on the carbon shell thickness. This nanocomposite shows potential applications as a smart nanosorbent due to its high adsorption capacity, recoverability, and recyclability for organic dye removal.