Functional hBN decorated Ni(OH)(2) nanosheets synthesized for remarkable adsorption performance for the elimination of fluoride ions

Occurrence of fluoride in groundwater is a serious concern due to its fatal effects. Functionalized hexagonal boron nitride sheets have been combined with nickel hydroxide nanoparticles by a one step process and a hybrid adsorbent Ni(OH)2@hBN has been developed with an exceptionally high fluoride adsorption capacity of 365 mg g(-1), higher than those of Ni(OH)2 and hBN. This maximum adsorption capacity is higher than those of most common adsorbents used for defluoridation including activated alumina, reported nickel oxide and carbon-based 2D material-supported alumina adsorbents. The presence of functionalized boron nitride significantly increased the surface area to 680 m(2) g(-1) with a pore volume of 0.33687 cm(3) g(-1) and provided rich hydroxyl group-containing surface sites for the removal of fluoride present in contaminated water. In addition, the adsorption of fluoride onto boron nitride-modified nickel hydroxide followed pseudo-second-order kinetics and the equilibrium data fitted well with the Langmuir adsorption isotherm, suggesting a monolayer adsorption mechanism. Furthermore, the material developed is tested with the water sample collected from a real affected area, from the Dhar district of India, and the material showed promising results in terms of fluoride removal efficacy.

Automated summary

A new hybrid adsorbent, Ni(OH)2@hBN, has been developed for the removal of fluoride in groundwater. The adsorption capacity of this material is exceptionally high, surpassing that of common defluoridation adsorbents such as activated alumina and nickel oxide. The addition of functionalized boron nitride increased the surface area and provided hydroxyl group-containing sites for fluoride adsorption.