Abstract

A novel, lightweight (8 mg/cm3), conjugate sponge of karaya gum (Kg) and chitosan (Ch) has been synthesized with very high porosity (~98%) and chemical stability, as a pH-responsive adsorbent material for the removal of anionic and cationic dyes from aqueous solutions. Experimental results showed that Kg-Ch conjugate sponge has good adsorption capacity for anionic dye methyl orange (MO: 32.81 mg/g) and cationic dye methylene blue (MB: 32.62 mg/g). The optimized Kg:Ch composition grants access to the free and pH-dependent ionizable functional groups on the surface of the sponge for the adsorption of dyes. The studies on the adsorption process as a function of pH, adsorbate concentration, adsorbent dose, and contact time indicated that the adsorption capacity of MB was decreased with increasing pH from 5 to 10 and external mass transfer together with intra-particle diffusion. The adsorption isotherm of the anionic dye MO was found to correlate with the Langmuir model (R2 = 0.99) while the adsorption of the cationic MB onto the sponge was better described by the Freundlich model (R2 = 0.99). Kinetic regression results specified that the adsorption kinetics were well represented by the pseudo-second-order model. The H-bonding, as well as electrostatic interaction between the polymers and the adsorption interactions of dyes onto Kg-Ch sponge from aqueous solutions, were investigated using attenuated total reflection-Fourier transform infrared (ATR-FTIR) spectroscopy, and the highly wrinkled porous morphology was visualized in depth by field-emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM) analysis. Moreover, the samples could be reused without loss of contaminant removal capacity over six successive adsorption-desorption cycles. The hierarchical three-dimensional sponge-like structure of Kg has not been reported yet and this novel Kg-Ch sponge functions as a promising candidate for the uninterrupted application of organic pollutant removal from water.

Highlights

  • Karaya gum (Mw = 1.5 × 106 g/mol), low Molecular weight chitosan (Mw = 9 × 104 g/mol with a degree of deacetylation of 75–85%), acetic acid (CH3 COOH), sodium hydroxide (NaOH), hydrochloric acid (HCl), Methyl orange, and methylene blue were purchased from Sigma Aldrich

  • (Co − Ce) where, qe is the amount of dye adsorbed at equilibrium, C0 is the initial dye concentration, Ce is the equilibrium dye concentration, m is the weight of adsorbent (g) and V is the volume of the dye solution (L)

  • Desorption of the Methylene blue (MB) and Methyl orange (MO) dye Molecules was performed in 0.1 M HCl and 0.1 M NaOH, respectively, and the desorbed sponges were washed with distilled water

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Summary

Introduction

Bio-based Materials such as cellulose [13], starch [14], lignin [15], alginate, and chitosan [16] have been used as dye adsorbents for Many reasons These include their affordability, low Manufacturing costs, biocompatibility, biodegradability, hydrophilicity, copiousness, superior physicochemical properties, structural properties, and diversity of chemical functionalities [17]. A significant factor that relies on adsorption is the ability of the chemical functional groups on the adsorbent to interact with the dye Molecules [26] Dyes, based on their chemical structure and application, are classified into different types such as anionic, cationic, and non-ionic dyes. At low pH, the amino groups in chitosan chains get protonated and the Material exhibits a positive charge, while at high pH, the carboxyl groups of karaya gum get deprotonated which brings about a negative charge for the conjugate sponge. The adsorption-desorption of dyes was carried out for several cycles, to establish the reusability potential of the Kg-Ch sponge

Reagents
Preparation of Deacetylated Karaya Gum
Synthesis of Kg-Ch Sponge
Zeta Potential
Determination of Density
Determination of Porosity
Swelling Measurements
Stability Studies
2.13. Adsorption Studies of Dye Solutions
2.14. Adsorption Isotherm
2.15. Kinetic Studies
2.16. Regeneration and Reusability
Density and Porosity
ATR-FTIR Analysis
Chemical Stability
SEM Analysis
Thermogravimetric Analysis
Swelling Studies
Effect of pH
Effect of Adsorbent Dosage
Effect of the Initial Concentration of Adsorbates
3.10. Adsorption Kinetics
3.11. The Mechanism for the Adsorption of Dyes onto the Kg-Ch Sponge
Conclusions

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