Removal of some cationic dyes from aqueous solution by acrylamide- or 2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate-based copolymeric hydrogels

Abstract

In this study, anionic hydrogels were prepared using a crosslinker (N,N′-methylenebisacrylamide) through a free radical addition reaction in aqueous solutions of neutral acrylamide or 2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate monomer and anionic monomers, mesaconic acid or aconitic acid. Cationic dyes along with safranine (azine-), nile blue (oxazine-) and methylene blue (thiazine-) were selected as models of pollutants, and adsorption of these dyes onto the hydrogels was investigated. To examine the effect of concentration on adsorption, dye solutions prepared with a concentration range of 5–50 mg l−1 and 0.1 g hydrogel at 25 °C were exposed to the hydrogels until equilibrium was established. Dye adsorption onto the hydrogels was found to be an L type Giles adsorption isotherm. Monolayer sorption capacity and adsorption constant values were calculated from the Langmuir plots. To calculate RL values, a non-dimensional analysis was used and they were always found to be 0 azine > thiazine. Furthermore, the higher the number of carboxyl groups in the hydrogel composition, the higher the adsorbed amount of substance.