Dye-Adsorption Capacity of High Surface-Area Hydrogen Titanate Nanosheets Processed via Modified Hydrothermal Method

Abstract

High surface-area (380 m2 x g(-1)) hydrogen titanate nanosheets (HTNS) processed via the modified hydrothermal method have been utilized for the removal of methylene blue (MB) dye from an aqueous solution via the surface-adsorption process involving the electrostatic attraction mechanism. The HTNS have been characterized using the transmission electron microscope (TEM), selected-area electron diffraction (SAED), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET) specific surface-area measurement techniques. The amount of MB dye adsorbed on the surface of HTNS at equilibrium (q(e)) has been examined as a function of contact time, initial dye-concentration, and initial solution-pH. Within the investigated range of initial solution-pH (2.5-11), the MB dye adsorption on the surface of HTNS has been observed to follow the pseudo-second-order kinetics with the dye-adsorption capacity of 119 mg x g(-1) at the initial solution-pH of - 10. The adsorption equilibrium follows the Langmuir isotherm within the initial solution-pH range of 2.5-10. However, in a highly basic solution (initial solution-pH -11), the adsorption equilibrium has been observed to follow the Langmuir, Freundlich, and Dubinin-Kaganer-Radushkevich (DKR) models in the different ranges of initial MB dye concentration. The mere dependence on the DKR model has not been observed within the investigated range of initial solution-pH. The differences in the dye-adsorption characteristics and capacity of HTNS, compared with those of hydrogen titanate nanotubes, have been attributed to the difference in their specific surface-area. Irrespective of the morphology, the maximum coverage of MB dye on the surface of hydrogen titanate has been noted to be the same (52%).