Adsorption Behavior of Platinum Group Metals (Pd,Pt, Rh) on Nonylthiourea‐Coated Fe3O4 Nanoparticles

Abstract

Magnetite nanoparticles coated with nonylthiourea (NTH) were synthesized and analyzed for the separation and recovery of platinum group metals (PGMs) from diluted aqueous chloride solutions. Physical characterizations of the coated nanoparticles were performed by Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM), Thermogravimetric Analysis (TGA) and FT‐IR Spectrometry. Separation efficiency of the coated nanoparticles and the equilibrium adsorption isotherm of PGMs were investigated. The maximum adsorption was attained in less than 30 minutes, and the maximum loading capacity of NTH‐coated Fe₃O₄ nanoparticles for Pt(IV) and Pd(II) was determined to be 10.7 and 8.1 mg g^?1, respectively. The recovery of PGMs from the loaded nanoparticles was examined using different eluting solutions, including HNO₃, thiourea, and NaClO₄.