Green synthesized SiO2@OPW nanocomposites for enhanced Lead (II) removal from water

The orange peel waste (OPW) was chemically spiked with silica nanospheres, to develop a novel, nanocomposite (SiO2@OPW) with enhanced adsorption capacity for heavy metals. The dispersion of silica nanospheres into orange peel waste was confirmed by XRD, FTIR, TEM, SEM and EDX. Adsorption of Pb2+ ions onto SiO2@OPW was studied in batch mode under varying process conditions such as pH, metal concentration, contact time and adsorbent dosage. The maximum adsorption capacity for OPW and SiO2@OPW was 166.7 mg/g and 200.0 mg/g, respectively calculated employing the Langmuir isotherm model. The kinetic data followed pseudo second order and intraparticle diffusion models. The maximum removal of Pb2+ ions was at pH = 6.0, adsorbent dosage = 0.02 g/L and contact time 60 min. Regeneration and reusability of SiO2@OPW was studied for five cycles. Owing to reusability and high adsorption capacity, SiO2@OPW nanocomposites may be considered as a promising adsorbent for the removal of heavy metals from water and wastewater.