Preparation of spherical iron nanoclusters in ethanol–water solution for nitrate removal

In this study, a higher surface area spherical nanoscale zero valent iron (HNZVI) cluster (80 nm, 54.25 m2 g−1) was synthesized in ethanol–water mixed solvent in the presence of dispersion agent of polyglycol (PEG). At the same time, a lower surface area nanoscale zero valent iron (LNZVI) particle (80 nm, 8.08 m2 g−1) was also prepared with only de-ioned water as reaction media. Their structures, compositions and physical properties were characterized by transmission electron microscope (TEM), X-ray diffractometer (XRD), inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectrophotometer (ICP-AES), and Brunauer–Emmett–Teller (BET) surface area analyzer and the results obtained for these two kinds of nanoscale iron were compared with each other and also with those reported in the literatures. The HNZVI clusters seemed to be accumulated by smaller iron particles (<10 nm). At the same time, whiskers were formed in the final produce. Reactivity of the HNZVI was affirmed via denitrification of nitrate. The factors controlling the reduction of nitrate, such as pH, dissolved oxygen (DO), iron content as well as the initial nitrate concentration were also discussed. Finally, kinetic analysis revealed that chemical reduction of nitrate by HNZVI could not be described by the first- or pseudo-first-order kinetic model.