Sorption behavior of nano-TiO2 for the removal of selenium ions from aqueous solution.

Titanium dioxide nanoparticles were employed for the sorption of selenium ions from aqueous solution. The process was studied in detail by varying the sorption time, pH, and temperature. The sorption was found to be fast, and to reach equilibrium basically within 5.0 min. The sorption has been optimized with respect to the pH, maximum sorption has been achieved from solution of pH 2-6. Sorbed Se(IV) and Se(VI) were desorbed with 2.0 mL 0.1 mol L(-1) NaOH. The kinetics and thermodynamics of the sorption of Se(IV) onto nano-TiO2 have been studied. The kinetic experimental data properly correlate with the second-order kinetic model (k(2)=0.69 g mg(-1) min(-1), 293 K). The overall rate process appears to be influenced by both boundary layer diffusion and intraparticle diffusion. The sorption data could be well interpreted by the Langmuir sorption isotherm. The mean energy of adsorption (14.46 kJ mol(-1)) was calculated from the Dubinin-Radushkevich (D-R) adsorption isotherm at room temperature. The thermodynamic parameters for the sorption were also determined, and the DeltaH(0) and DeltaG(0) values indicate exothermic behavior.