Removal of Chloroform by Fe/Ni Nanoparticles Supported on Activated Carbon Fibers

Application of support materials in nanoparticle technology can effectively preserve the reactivity of nanoparticles through preventing nanoparticle aggregation. In this study, the composite of activated carbon fiber-supported bimetallic Fe/Ni nanoparticles (ACF-Fe/Ni) was synthesized and several characterizations for ACF-Fe/Ni were carried out, including scanning electron microscopy, Brunauer-Emmett-Teller surface area, X-ray diffraction, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. Subsequently, dechlorination performance of ACF-Fe/Ni toward chloroform (CF) was evaluated via a series of batch experiments. Results showed that 92.1% of CF was removal by ACF-Fe/Ni within 45 min, higher than that of raw Fe/Ni (63.3%) and ACFs (13.7%) under the identical condition. Analysis of dechlorination products and chloride ion formed during the dechlorination process indicated that the possible pathway of CF removal by ACF-Fe/Ni included hydrogenolysis and complete dechlorination. Moreover, influence of key parameters manifested that rising ACF-Fe/Ni dosage and ambient temperature and lowering initial pH value were conducive to the removal of CF. Common ions and sulfur compounds both showed a detrimental effect on the removal of CF by ACF-Fe/Ni, specifically sulfides almost completely inhibiting the reactivity of ACF-Fe/Ni.