Title : Reduction of Toxic Dyes Using Recyclable Core Shell Nanoparticles Catalyst

Abstract:

Industrial effluents consist of various toxic dyes and nitro-aromatic compounds that are harmful to environment and cause water pollution at large level. Therefore, removal/degradation of these toxic pollutants from the wastewater sources is need of time. Here, silver nanoparticles fabricated polystyrene-poly(N-isopropyl methacrylamide-acrylic acid) core shell particles were prepared via precipitation  polymerization method and used as catalyst to degrade toxic dyes such as Congo red (CR), Rhodamine B (RhB) and Methylene blue (Mb) in the presence of sodium borohydride (NaBH₄) as reducing agent. Controlled reactions were also performed to prove high activity of core shell nano-catalyst.  Pseudo first order kinetic model was applied to investigate the degradation reactions of toxic dyes. It was concluded that prepared composite nano-catalyst increased the rate of reduction reactions and made the reaction kinetically feasible. Nano-catalyst maintained it activity even in case of simultaneous degradation of toxic dyes.

Dyes reduction reactions were evaluated on the basis of Langmuir Hinshelwood (L-H) mechanism. Pollutants degradation was also performed under different reaction conditions such as catalyst dose, NaBH₄ and amount of toxic dye. Percentage activity of hybrid catalyst was maintained up to fourth reusability cycle for reduction of toxic dyes.

Audience take-away:

• They learn the methodology to prepared polymers microgels with different morphologies.
• They will learn to fabricated different metal nanoparticles in polymer micorgels to prolong their life span.
• They will learn to use their composite particles as catalyst for the treatment of wastewater. 

Biography:

Dr. Khalida Naseem obtained her PhD degree in Chemistry from School of Chemistry, University of the Punjab, Lahore. She served as a Lecturer in Kinnaird College for Women, Lahore from August 2016 to June 2017. She served as Research Assistant at the University of the Punjab from October 2017 to October 2019. She is currently serving as Assistant Professor in Faculty of Sciences, University of Central Punjab, Lahore. She has published 45 articles in international journals of good repute with an accumulative impact factor of 217.342. She presented her research work as poster/oral presenter at National and International level. Her area of research is the synthesis of smart polymers, microgels, hybrid polymer microgels, metal nanoparticles fabrication and their use in the field of catalysis, adsorption and water treatment. Dr. Khalida Naseem is a member of the Chemical Society of Pakistan and American Institute of Chemical engineers (AIChE).