Design of a new nanostructure comprising mesoporous ZrO2 shell and magnetite core (Fe3O4@mZrO2) and study of its phosphate ion separation efficiency

In many developing countries, phosphate contamination from public and private wastewater disposal causes eutrophication of water bodies. The development and implementation of efficient, consistent and cost-effective techniques to remove phosphorus from wastewater is essential to restore and maintain ecological balance. In the present article, a new nanosized core/shell structure containing a magnetite (Fe3O4) core and mesoporous ZrO2 shell (Fe3O4@mZrO2) with a BET surface area of 107 m2 g−1 synthesized using an inexpensive synthesis protocol has been demonstrated as an efficient sorbent system for removal of phosphate. The mesoporous ZrO2 shell in the Fe3O4@mZrO2 imparts excellent adsorption capability for phosphate ions while the Fe3O4 core cooperates in easy and rapid magnetic separation. The developed system exhibits a phosphate adsorption capacity of up to ∼90% along with the dependency on the initial pH and initial P concentration of the experimental solution. Regeneration through the treatment with a KOH–KCl mixture allows Fe3O4@mZrO2 reuse.