Document Type
Article
Publication Date
11-10-2025
Publication Title
Nanomaterials
Abstract
This work presents a facile mechano-thermal route for the synthesis of carbon-decorated, hollow, mesoporous alpha-Fe2O3 microspheres. Comprehensive characterization (XRD, XPS, FT-IR, SEM/EDX, TGA, zeta-potential) confirmed the formation of phase-pure hematite with nanoscale crystallites (similar to 19 nm), substantial residual surface carbon (similar to 40 wt%) consistent with Fe-O-C linkages, and a positive surface charge (+15.9 mV). The hierarchical hollow/mesoporous architecture enables fast ion transport and provides extensive interior binding sites, resulting in rapid Pb(II) uptake that reaches 92% removal in approximate to 15 min at pH 5.0. The adsorption follows a Langmuir isotherm (q(max) approximate to 70.6 mg/g) and pseudo-second-order kinetics, indicative of chemisorption coupled to efficient mass transfer into internal sites. The composite also exhibits antibacterial activity against Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus, demonstrating its potential for simultaneous mitigation of heavy metal contaminants and pathogens.
Recommended Citation
Gomaa, I.; Yushin, N.; Bayachou, M.; Stanić, V.; Zinicovscaia, I. Synthesis and Characterization of Eco-Engineered Hollow Fe2O3/Carbon Nanocomposite Spheres: Evaluating Structural, Optical, Antibacterial, and Lead Adsorption Properties. Nanomaterials 2025, 15, 1850. https://doi.org/10.3390/nano15241850
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
DOI
10.3390/nano15241850
Version
Publisher's PDF
Volume
15
Issue
24
