Fabrication of zirconium (IV)-loaded chitosan/Fe3O4/graphene oxide for efficient removal of alizarin red from aqueous solution

Zirconium(IV)-loaded chitosan/Fe3O4/graphene oxide (Zr-CMGO) was fabricated and applied to remove alizarin red (AR) from aqueous solution. Characterizations of Zr-CMGO were performed using several techniques. The effects of initial AR pH, coexisted NaCl, contact time and AR concentration were systematically investigated in batch mode. The increased pH had a negative effect on AR adsorption while there was little impact with salinity. Adsorption capacity toward AR reached up to 231 mg/g at 313 K. The kinetic and isotherm analyses indicated that pseudo-second-order kinetic model and Freundlich model could predicted the uptake of AR. In addition, the mechanism of AR adsorption could be mainly complexation, electrostatic force, etc. There is antibacterial activity from test about Zr-CMGO. Furthermore, the two-stage design could be applied for the theoretical support. Based on all results, Zr-CMGO is a novel and selective adsorbent for practical applications.