Adsorptive Removal of Synozol Red Dye from Aqueous Solutions Using Potato Peel and CuO/Potato Peel Nanocomposite

Abstract

There is a threat to the environment and the health of people due to the pollution of water bodies with synthetic dyes emitted by textile plants. Potato peel (PP) and copper oxide-modified potato peel nanocomposite (CuO/PPNPs) were examined in the given study as low-cost biosorbents in the removal of Synozol Red (SR) dye in aqueous solutions. Fourier Transform Infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), Energy Dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX), and X-ray Diffraction (XRD) methods were used to characterize the prepared adsorbents. Experiments on batch adsorption were carried out to investigate the influence of pH, contact time, adsorbent dosage, and initial dye concentration on the adsorption efficiency. The experimental findings pointed out that the process of removal of dye was very sensitive to solution pH and the dosage of adsorbent. The highest removal was recorded under acidic conditions (pH 2), whereby the removal efficiency of the CuO/PPNPs was about 72.6%. The maximum adsorption capacity was increased with the contact time and the dye concentration. Kinetic modeling demonstrated that the adsorption process was governed by the pseudo-second-order kinetic model, which indicated that the adsorption process was chemisorption in nature. The Langmuir isotherm model was the best fit to the equilibrium data, so it indicates monolayer adsorption of dye molecules to the adsorbent surface. The findings indicate that CuO/PPNPs has a better adsorption capacity than raw potato peel and is an efficient and non-polluting adsorbent to obtain the cost and to treat the dye-impure wastewater.