Cooperative coadsorption of 4-nitrophenol and basic yellow 28 dye onto an iron organo–inorgano pillared montmorillonite clay

Abstract

Sorption properties of an iron surfactant-modified pillared montmorillonite (Fe-SMPM) toward two organic pollutants, basic yellow 28 dye (BY28) and 4-nitrophenol (4-NP), were studied at different pH values in both single component and binary pollutant systems. The pseudo-first-order model fits well with the kinetic data obtained in single component studies and sorption capacities of both BY28 and 4-NP increased with the pH value. A sorption synergetic mechanism was observed in binary systems; 4-nitrophenol adsorption was enhanced by the presence of BY28 in the mixture and increased with dye concentrations. Isotherms were described using the Freundlich model in single component systems and the Sheindorf–Rebhun–Sheintuch (SRS) model, an extended Freundlich model, in binary mixtures systems. Hydrophobic interactions between the surfactant-modified pillared clay and the pollutants were suggested to explain the sorption mechanisms.