Malays. J. Anal. Sci. Volume 29 Number 5 (2025): 1554

 

Research Article

 

Magnetic iron oxide for the removal of Allura red and Erioglaucine A dyes: Synthesis and adsorption optimization

 

Nurul Yani Rahim1, Siti Hajar Abdullah1, Nurina Izzah Mohd Husani2, Nor Munira Hashim2, Nur Hidayah Sazali3, and Nur Nadhirah Mohamad Zain2*

 

1School of Chemical Science, Universiti Sains Malaysia, 11800 Pulau Pinang, Malaysia

2Department of Toxicology, Advanced Medical and Dental Institute, Universiti Sains Malaysia, 13200 Kepala Batas, Penang, Malaysia

3Institute of Sustainable Energy & Resources, Universiti Teknologi PETRONAS, 32610 Seri Iskandar, Perak, Malaysia

 

*Corresponding author: nurnadhirah@usm.my

 

Received: 25 April 2025; Revised: 29 September 2025; Accepted: 6 October 2025; Published: 26 October 2025

 

Abstract

The environmental hazards associated with the introduction of synthetic colorants into aquatic systems are substantial, as they can be detrimental to both aquatic organisms and humans, as a result of inadequate disposal management. The co-precipitation method was employed to synthesize Fe₃O₄ magnetic nanoparticles, with ferrous chloride tetrahydrate (FeCl₂·4H₂O) and ferric chloride hexahydrate (FeCl₃·6H₂O) serving as the starting materials. The nanoparticles that were synthesized underwent a thorough characterization. X-ray Diffraction (XRD) analysis revealed distinct diffraction peaks at 2θ = 30.20°, 35.55°, 43.35°, 57.20°, and 63.10°, which are associated with the cubic spinel structure of Fe₃O₄, thus confirming the material's crystallinity. Ultra-High-Resolution Scanning Electron Microscopy (UHR-SEM) micrographs displayed spherical, agglomerated morphologies within the 300–500 nm range. Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET) analysis indicated a mesoporous structure characterized by a specific surface area of 58.62 m˛/g. Concurrently, Vibrating Sample Magnetometry (VSM) measurements exhibited pronounced magnetic behavior, with a saturation magnetization (Ms) of 86.83 emu/g, confirming the presence of superparamagnetism. The adsorption performance of Fe₃O₄ nanoparticles for Allura Red and Erioglaucine A was systematically evaluated using the Taguchi design approach. This evaluation was carried out under varying pH, adsorbent mass, and sample volume conditions, while parameters including temperature, contact time, and initial concentration were analyzed independently. The results indicated a monolayer adsorption process driven by chemisorption, with kinetics conforming to a pseudo-second-order model, and equilibrium data aligning with the Langmuir isotherm (R˛ = 1). The thermodynamic analysis confirmed that the adsorption process is exothermic. In practical applications, when using Fe₃O₄ nanoparticles on real wastewater samples, a high removal efficiency for Allura Red was observed, ranging from 94.57% to 100.13%, with a relative standard deviation (%RSD) of less than 1.40%. The removal efficiency for Erioglaucine A exhibited significant variability, ranging from 1.19% to 100.08%, with a %RSD of less than 20.00%. This variability likely arises from limitations in equilibrium diffusion at higher dye concentrations and differences in dye molecule structures. Overall, the results indicated that Fe₃O₄ nanoparticles demonstrated significant efficacy in the magnetic separation and elimination of Allura Red. However, optimization strategies may be necessary to improve the removal of Erioglaucine A in complex wastewater matrices.

 

Keywords: Magnetic nanoparticles, Allura red, Erioglaucine A, Taguchi design method, adsorption

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