Anchoring H3PW12O40 on aminopropylsilanized spinel‐type cobalt oxide (Co3O4‐SiPrNH2/H3PW12O40): A novel nanohybrid adsorbent for removing cationic organic dye pollutants from aqueous solutions

In this work, phosphotungstic acid (H₃PW₁₂O₄₀; PW₁₂) was chemically anchored on aminopropylsiloxane functionalized spherical Co₃O₄ nanoparticles (Co₃O₄–SiPrNH₂) and the resultant nanocomposite (Co₃O₄–SiPrNH₂/PW₁₂) was fully characterized. The results demonstrated successful anchoring of PW₁₂ on the surface of Co₃O₄–SiPrNH₂nanoparticles. The Co₃O₄–SiPrNH₂/PW₁₂ nanohybrid indicated a specific surface area of 42.14 m² g^?1, which was greater than that of pure PW₁₂ (ca. 5 m² g^?1). The adsorption efficiency of this novel adsorbent nanomaterial was evaluated for removing methylene blue (MB), rhodamine B (RhB) and methyl orange (MO) dyes from aqueous solutions. The hybrid nanomaterial exhibited a high adsorption rate and selective adsorptivity for the cationic MB and RhB dyes compared to those for anionic MO dye. The prepared hybrid nanomaterial removed over 98% of MB within 12 min. The effects of initial pH, contact time, adsorbent dosage, and temperature were investigated on the adsorption process. The adsorption capacity of nanohybrid for cationic MB dye was 38.46 mg g^‐1. Also, adsorption kinetics indicated that the adsorption by Co₃O₄–SiPrNH₂/PW₁₂ was well‐modeled using pseudo‐second‐order kinetic model. Finally, thermodynamic parameters revealed that the adsorption was endothermic and spontaneous. The adsorption rate and ability of the Co₃O₄–SiPrNH₂/PW₁₂ were enhanced as compared with Co₃O₄ and Co₃O₄–SiPrNH₂ samples due to enhanced electrostatic attraction intraction. The nanohybride was easily separated and reused without any change in structure. Thus, it could be a promising green adsorbent for removing organic pollutants in water.