Sorption of Mo(VI) from nitric acid solution by nano-zirconium dioxide: Optimization, kinetic, and isothermal study

Molybdenum (VI) has several nuclear and industrial applications. Therefore, this study focused on the sorption of Mo (VI) from nitric acid solution due to its economic and environmental significance. For this purpose, cubic ZrO2 nanoparticle was prepared and employed to enhance environmental performance by removing Mo(VI) from the nitric acid medium. The synthetic ZrO2 was characterized to determine its functional groups, crystallinity, surface area, morphology, and surface charge. Furthermore, by investigating several factors influencing the sorption process, the sorption capacity and efficiency of ZrO2 were evaluated. The optimal conditions were determined to be 0.03 g of ZrO2 in a 100 mg/L of Mo(VI) solution dissolved in 0.1 mol/L HNO3, 298 K, and 200 min. Kinetics studies demonstrated that the pseudo-second-order model accurately described the sorption process, which was governed by intra-particle diffusion. Also, the Elovich theory illustrated that the process was a chemisorption. The maximum sorption capacity was computed using the Langmuir isotherm at various temperatures and was determined to be 79.37, 88.26, 92.42, and 98.33 mg/g at 288, 298, 308, and 318 K, respectively. Findings from the experimental studies highlighted the potential application of ZrO2 as an environmentally friendly, promising, sustainable, and energy-efficient sorbent. KEY WORDS: Zirconium oxide, Nanoparticles, Mo(VI), Sorption, Kinetics, Equilibrium isotherm Bull. Chem. Soc. Ethiop. 2026, 40(5), 977-992 DOI: https://dx.doi.org/10.4314/bcse.v40i5.3