Currently, nanoparticles with properties like large surface area, good volumetric potential, stability under different operational conditions with exceptional sorption behavior, and being easy to recover and reprocess are showing promising approaches for removing heavy metals from wastewater. Here, we planned to investigate the applicability of zinc sulfide nanoparticles (ZnS NPs) for the selective elimination of toxic heavy metals from mixed aqueous solutions. ZnS NPs were successfully synthesized using the chemical sol-gel technique with zinc sulphate and sodium sulphide. Prepared NPs were characterized using XRD (X-ray diffraction), UV-Vis (Ultraviolet-Visible), FE-SEM (Field emission scanning electron microscope), and EDX (Energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy) techniques. XRD revealed the cubic phase of ZnS NPs. The optical band gap was estimated using UV-Vis absorption spectra. The EDX microanalysis confirmed the presence of zinc and sulfur in the sample. The performance of the ZnS NPs for the removal of lead (Pb²⁺) ions from aqueous solutions was inspected. Prepared ZnS NPs exhibited very high metal removal efficiency after 72 h of experimental observation. The results show that the NPs may serve as a promising adsorbent for the removal of Pb²⁺ ions from contaminated aqueous solutions.

PDF (Download Full text)

Download Citation (XML)