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Abstract
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The aim of the present study is to synthesize a new and proficient nanoadsorbent for rapid removal of heavy
metals and disinfection of microorganisms. The proposed nanoadsorbent was fabricated using SnO2 nanoparticles
as the core, coated with mesoporous silica and further modified with 3-Aminopropyl triethoxysilane to
render SnO2/PSi/NH2 nanocomposite. The nanocomposite was characterized using Fourier Transform Infrared
(FTIR), X-Ray diffraction (XRD), Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) and Nitrogen adsorption-desorption
analysis. The potential of the resultant SnO2/PSi/NH2 nanocomposite for the convenient removal of Lead ions in
a batch systems was investigated as a function of solution pH, contact time, adsorbent dosage, temperature and
metal ion concentration. The adsorption behavior was in good agreement with Sips and Langmuir isotherm
models. The maximum adsorption capacity of SnO2/PSi/NH2 was 653.62 mg g−1. Furthermore, the desorption
experiments demonstrated that the proposed nanocomposite could be used frequently for at least three consecutive
cycles with minor losses in adsorption performance. The bacterial inactivation ability of SnO2/PSi/NH2 toward E-Coli and S. aureus bacteria was also evaluated using disk diffusion and linear cultivation tests, according
to which the SnO2/PSi/NH2 nanocomposite possessed exceptional disinfection ability toward both
bacteria, specifically S. aureus.
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