Efficient wastewater decontamination using magnetic bentonite-alginate beads: A comprehensive study of adsorption dynamics, regeneration, and molecular interactions

Abstract

This study enhances wastewater treatment methodologies by developing magnetic bentonite-alginate beads (MBent-A beads) for adsorbing methylene blue (MB) from aqueous solutions. Experimental and computational analyses were employed to evaluate the beads' adsorption efficiency, utilizing characterization techniques including Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), X-ray diffraction (XRD), point of zero charge (pHpzc), Brunauer-Emmett-Teller method (BET), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS) to examine the composite’s morphology and chemistry. Findings reveal a significant adsorption capacity with the beads' specific surface area at 3.94 m2/g and a maximum adsorption capacity of 774.32 mg/g. Adsorption kinetics adhered closely to the pseudo-second-order model, indicating a rapid adsorption process, while Langmuir isotherm analysis confirmed a uniform monolayer adsorption and temperature-dependent capacities. Thermodynamic analysis showed the adsorption process to be spontaneous and exothermic, reflecting a strong affinity between MB molecules and the bead surface. The beads demonstrated durability with more than 90% removal efficiency after five regeneration cycles, highlighting a minimal decrease from 98.54% to 90.60%. In-depth theoretical investigations using density functional theory (DFT), frontier molecular orbital (FMO), reduced density gradient (RDG), and quantum theory of atoms in molecules (QTAIM) analyses identified van der Waals forces and hydrogen bonding as primary interactions driving the adsorption. The synthesis of MBent-A beads and their confirmed efficacy in dye adsorption integrates experimental research with theoretical modeling, offering a robust solution for treating dye-contaminated wastewater and underlining the potential of MBent-A beads in environmental remediation.