Preparation of a novel Fe3O4/graphene oxide hybrid for adsorptive removal of methylene blue from water

In this work, a novel Fe₃O₄/graphene oxide (GO) hybrid was prepared and its removal ability of cationic methylene blue dye from water was investigated. To improve the dispersability of Fe₃O₄/GO hybrid in water, GO was first modified by polyethylene glycol (PEG) via a click approach before deposition of Fe₃O₄ nanoparticles onto its surface. The successful modification of GO surface and the deposition of Fe₃O₄ nanoparticles were confirmed by transmission electron microscopy directly. The saturation magnetization of the resultant Fe₃O₄/GO hybrid is 7.8 eum/g. The adsorption capacities of Fe₃O₄/GO hybrid for methylene blue at 35 and 60°C were as high as 96.05 and 120.05 mg/g, respectively. Moreover, the Langmuir, Freundlich, and Temkin models are used to investigate the isothermal adsorption behavior of Fe₃O₄/GO hybrid.