Synthesis, Characterization, and Evaluation Non-Stoichiometric of Copper Ferrite Nanoparticles in Disinfestation and Adsorption Efficiency for Organic Dye: Isotherms, Thermodynamics, and Kinetic Studies

Abstract

Ferrite nanoparticles (FNPs) have attracted considerable attention due to their diverse applications in wastewater treatment. This study focused on synthesizing non-stoichiometric copper ferrite magnetic nanoparticles (CuFNPs) through co-precipitation and microwave methods. The synthesized adsorbents were characterized using techniques such as X-ray diffraction (XRD), vibration sample magnetometry (VSM), and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). XRD analysis revealed crystallite sizes ranging from 24 to 31 nm for all samples. Furthermore, adsorption experiments were performed to investigate the impacts of several factors, including dye concentration, contact time, adsorbent dosage, and pH, on the removal efficiency of Alizarin Yellow R (AYR) dye. The CuFNPs (5) sample achieved a maximum removal efficiency of 98.90% at a dye concentration of 50 ppm, pH 2, and an equilibrium time of 90 minutes. The kinetic investigation demonstrated that the adsorption of AYR dye onto the nanoparticles adhered to a pseudo-second-order (PSO) model. The adsorption equilibrium data were most accurately described by the Langmuir isotherm model, although the Freundlich model was also evaluated. The CuFNPs (4) sample showed superparamagnetic behavior with a saturation magnetization value of 58.28 emu/g. The antibacterial activity of the synthesized CuFNPs was evaluated against four bacterial strains, including gram-positive, gram-negative, and pathogenic fungal yeast. Results showed that the CuFNPs (5) sample demonstrated significant effectiveness against both gram-negative bacteria ( E. coli , P. aeruginosa ) and gram-positive bacteria ( S. aureus , B. cereus ), as well as the pathogenic fungal yeast C. albicans .