Magnetite/MXene (Fe3O4/Ti3C2) Nanocomposite as a Novel Adsorbent for Environmental Remediation of Malachite Green Dye

In this work, a novel adsorbent called magnetite/MXene (Fe₃O₄/Ti₃C₂) nanocomposite was prepared, characterized, and applied for the removal of organic dye, malachite green dye (MG), from both real water and model solutions. Numerous techniques were used to characterize the prepared Fe₃O₄/Ti₃C₂ nanocomposite: XRD, SEM, TEM, FTIR, and surface area analysis. The outcomes showed that the Al layer had been selectively etched, that the MAX phase (Ti₃AlC₂) had been transformed into layered Ti₃C₂ MXene, that the cubic Fe₃O₄ phase had been prepared, and that the prepared Fe₃O₄ NPs had been evenly distributed on the MXene surface. Also, SEM pictures showed the successful etching of the MAX phase and the formation of the ultrathin multi-layered MXene, which the Fe₃O₄ NPs covered upon forming the Fe₃O₄/Ti₃C₂ nanocomposite at the surface and inside the ultrathin multi-layered MXene. The effect of different operational parameters affecting the removal process was explored and optimized. The MG dye was removed mostly within 60 min, with a 4.68 mg/g removal capacity using 5 mg of the Fe₃O₄/Ti₃C₂ nanocomposite. The removal was examined from both kinetic and thermodynamic perspectives, and the findings demonstrated the spontaneity of the removal process as well as the applicability of fractal-like pseudo-first-order and fractal-like pseudo-second-order kinetics when compared to other kinetics models. The Fe₃O₄/Ti₃C₂ nanocomposite was used to remove MG dye from real spiked environmental water samples, and the results revealed the successful remediation of the real samples from the organic dye by the Fe₃O₄/Ti₃C₂ nanocomposite. Accordingly, Fe₃O₄/Ti₃C₂ nanocomposite could be considered a potential adsorbent for the environmental remediation of polluted water.