Kinetics and regression analysis of phenanthrene adsorption on the nanocomposite of CaO and activated carbon: Characterization, regeneration, and mechanistic approach

Abstract

In the present study, calcium oxide supported on activated carbon (CaO@AC) nanocomposite was synthesized using Basil leaf extract as a promoter and used to remove phenanthrene, an environmental pollutant, from aqueous solution. The activated carbon (AC) was prepared by the carbonization of Palm shells under pyrolytic conditions. The CaO@AC nanocomposite was characterized by FTIR, SEM-EDX, BET, and PXRD. The characterized CaO@AC nanocomposite was employed as an adsorbent for selective removal of phenanthrene from wastewater, maintaining the optimized conditions at initial phenanthrene concentration (5 mg/L), catalyst dosage (1 g), temperature (30 °C), and pH (7.6) for all batches. The adsorption isotherm and the kinetic studies for regression analysis were well fitted for the Freundlich model (R2 = 0.9956) and non-linear Pseudo (II order) mechanism (R2 = 0.9942). The results showed that the type IV linear form of pseudo-II order kinetic expression was inadequate for the kinetic rate parameters compared to the type I - III models. The CaO@AC was demonstrated as an inexpensive, scalable, recyclable, and eco-friendly adsorbent material for removing phenanthrene from wastewater.