Kinetics and thermodynamics of sorption of nitroaromatic compounds to as-grown and oxidized multiwalled carbon nanotubes

Xiu-E Shen; Xiao-Quan Shan; De-Ming Dong; Xiu-Yi Hua; Gary Owens

doi:10.1016/j.jcis.2008.10.023

Kinetics and thermodynamics of sorption of nitroaromatic compounds to as-grown and oxidized multiwalled carbon nanotubes

J Colloid Interface Sci. 2009 Feb 1;330(1):1-8. doi: 10.1016/j.jcis.2008.10.023. Epub 2008 Nov 1.

Authors

Xiu-E Shen¹, Xiao-Quan Shan, De-Ming Dong, Xiu-Yi Hua, Gary Owens

Affiliation

¹ College of Environment and Resources, Jilin University, Changchun 130012, China.

PMID: 18977488
DOI: 10.1016/j.jcis.2008.10.023

Abstract

The sorption kinetics and thermodynamics of 1,3-dinitrobenzene (DNB), m-nitrotoluene (mNT), p-nitrophenol (pNP), and nitrobenzene (NB) on as-grown and nitric acid-oxidized multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) were investigated. The sorption kinetics was well described by a pseudo-second-order rate model, while both Langmuir and Freundlich models described the sorption isotherms well and the sorption thermodynamic parameters of equilibrium constant (K(0)), standard free energy (DeltaG), standard enthalpy (DeltaH), and standard entropy changes (DeltaS) were measured. The values of DeltaH and DeltaG suggested that the sorption of nitroaromatics (NACs) onto MWCNTs was exothermic and spontaneous. The structure, number, and position of nitro groups of NACs were the main factors affecting the sorption rate and capacity. Treatment of the MWCNTs with nitric acid increased both the surface area and the pore volume and introduced oxygen-containing functional groups to the MWCNTs, which depressed the sorption of NACs onto MWCNTs.