Exfoliated Clay Decorated with Magnetic Iron Nanoparticles for Crystal Violet Adsorption: Modeling and Physicochemical Interpretation.

Surfactant-modified exfoliated Fayum clay (CTAB-EC) obtained after chemical treatment with a CTAB/HO solution was further decorated with magnetic FeO nanoparticles (MNP). The final nanocomposite (MNP/CTAB-EC) was characterized by XRD, SEM, FTIR, TEM and its adsorptive capability against a model cationic dye, crystal violet (CV), was evaluated. A comparison of the adsorption performance of the raw clay and its modified counterparts using HO, CTAB, CTAB/HO or MNP indicated that the adsorption capacity of MNP/CTAB-EC was the highest for CV removal at pH 8.