Catalytic dye degradation using citrate-stabilized silver nanoparticles

Objective

1. To assess catalytic dye degradation using Cit-AgnP.

2. To apply new method for dye degradation using citrate as a capping agent of the silver

nanoparticles.

3. To be able to apply new preparation technique of Silver nanoparticles using citrate as an

established synthetic method.

4. To be able to use contribute unto removal of pollutants on waste water caused by organic

dyes.
 Review of Related Literature

Why degrade organic dyes?

Organic dyes is one of the major groups of pollutants widely used in textile, plastic,

medicine and many other industries, while the hazardous effects of organic dyes in waste water

have been a major concern and now a major threat in the environment due to the substantial

pollution problems caused by them. These industries exhausted large quantity of high content color

effluents, which are generally more toxic and resistant to destruction by conventional methods. A

necessary criterion in the use of these dyes is that they must be highly accumulated in water and

stable in light during washing. The accumulation of these dyes in the water bodies causes

eutrophication, reduces the reoxygenation capacity and makes severe damage to the aquatic

organisms by hindering the infiltration of sunlight. ( Faisal M, 2007).

What are existing treatments and problems encountered?

Various physical, chemical and biological water treatment methods have been used for removing

the dye wastes. These include methods such as adsorption, membrane filtration, chemical

oxidation and reduction, photochemical and electrochemical treatment, anaerobic treatment etc.

Since the dye pollutants are chemically stable, traditional water treatment methods are found to be

ineffective. They are highly resistant to micro- organisms and hence the water soluble dyes are not

generally decolourized effectively by conventional biological treatment. (Joseph & Mathew,

2015).
Nanocatalysis

Recently, nanotechnology has been extended to the area of waste water treatment. Nanocatalysis

has undergone a remarkable growth in recent years and seems to be a revolution in the field of

catalysis. Metallic nanoparticles exhibit physical and chemical properties that differ considerably

from those of the bulk materials. This is largely due to their finite size and large surface area to

volume ratio and the reactivity that depends mostly on their size. The size dependent reactivity

and large surface area have made them efficient catalysts. Several researchers have reported the

use of nanocatalysts for the effective removal of dye stuffs. (Muthukrishnan S, Muthukumar M, &

Rao MV, 2015)

Cit-AgNP

What’s in the Trisodium Citrate?

The presence of surfactants comprising functionalities (e.g., thiols, amines, acids, and alcohols)

for interactions with particle surfaces can stabilize particle growth, and protect particles from

sedimentation, agglomeration, or losing their surface properties. (S. Iravani et al, 2013)

A solution of silver nanoparticles was prepared to characterize and prove the existence of three

species: Ag+ ions, Ago and Ag+ ions adsorbed on Ago . The solution was synthesized using a

traditional method. The added citrate in Ag nanoparticles colloids, serving as a stabilizer, binds

strongly to the Ag+ and facilitates the reduction and subsequent capping of Ago . (Nabraj Bhattarai

et al, 2011)
Methodology

1. Synthesis of AgNP

a. Materials and Reagents

Silver nitrate, Trisodium Citrate, distilled water

1. Silver colloid will be prepared using chemical reduction method where all solutions

of reacting materials will be prepared using distilled water.

2. 5.0ml of 0.001 M AgNO3was heated to boil.

3. 5 mL of 1 % trisodium citrate will be added drop by drop.

4. It will be removed from the heating device and stirred until cooled to room

temperature

5. 0.002 M silver nitrate and 0.02 M trisodium citrate will be added.

(Cliff Orori Mosiori, 2014)

 2. Preparation of Methylene Blue Solutions

a. Materials and Reagents

Methylene blue, distilled water, volumetric flask, vials, weighing scale

1. Prepare 40 ppm MB dye solution as a stock as well as working solution.

2. Weigh 2 mg of MB and mixed with 50 mL double distilled water.

3. Various working solutions (40 ppm, 30 ppm, 20 ppm, 10 ppm, 5 ppm, 2 ppm, 1 ppm,

and 0.1 ppm)

3. Photo Catalytic degradation of MB (Methylene Blue) dye

a. Materials and Reagents:

MB, distilled water, AgNP, magnetic stirrer, timer, spectrometer

1. Weigh 0.9 mg and mixed 90 mL of distilled water as a stock solution.

2. Mix about 1 mL of various forms of silver nano particles to 14 mL of MB

solution.

3. Prepare a control in similar manner without adding silver particles.

4. The reaction suspensions should be properly mixed on magnetic stirrer before

exposing to a lamp. (what suitable lamp is to be used for photocatalytic degradation

of dyes?)

5. After that, expose the samples under the lamp and monitor time interval period

of 60 mins.

6. At specific time intervals; these suspensions are to be measured against

absorbance at 613nm and 664nm to evaluate the photo catalytic degradation of dye.
4. Degradation Kinetics of Dye (methylene blue) using Citrate-Stabilized AgNPs under

visible light

b. Materials and Reagents:

Conical flask (100mL), distilled water, methylene blue stock solution,

test tube, synthesized Ag nanoparticles, timer

1. Take a 100mL conical flask and wash with distilled water properly.

2. Prepare a Methylene Blue stock Solution according 10 ppm for 45 mL of

distilled water (0.45mg of mylene blue was dissolved in 45mL of water.)

3. Take a testtube and rinse it with distilled water.

4. Vortex it properly and take readings at different time interval (0, 5, 30, 60, 90,

120, 180, 210, 240, and 270 mins).

5. At 0 min, 5 mL of chemically synthesized silver nanoparticles will be added in

stock solution.

6. The stock solution should be placed on stirring condition on the magnetic

stirrer.

7. Take the 5 min reading as above process mentioned up to 240 mins.

(Kashmi Nirmohi, 2016)
References

S. Iravani et al. / RPS 2014; 9(6): 385-406

Faisal M, Tariq MA, Muneer M (2007) Photocatalysed degradation of two selected dyes

in UV-irradiated aqueous suspensions of titania. Dyes Pigm 72: 233–239.

Nabraj Bhattarai et al, 2011 Citrate Stabilized Silver Nanoparticles: Study of

Crystallography and Surface Properties. International Journal of Nanotechnology

and Molecular Computation, 3(3), 15-28, July-September 2011

Kashmi Nirmohi, 2016. Catalytic Degradation of Methylene Blue as a Model Dye using

Silver Nanoparticles