Novel Chitosan-ZnO nanocomposites derived from Nymphaeaceae fronds for highly efficient removal of Reactive Blue 19, Reactive Orange 16, and Congo Red dyes

Abstract

The primary aim of this investigation was to synthesise novel adsorbent by incorporating greenly synthesized zinc oxide nanoparticles into chitosan matrix (G-ZnO-Cs). The production of ZnO Nanoparticles via a green approach involved the utilization of extracts derived from Nymphaeaceae fronds. This assertion was substantiated by the application of Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscopy (FESEM) and X-ray Diffraction (XRD) analytical techniques. Several Analytical methods such as Fourier Transform Infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), Energy Dispersive X-ray Analysis (EDAX), FESEM, Thermogravimetric Analysis (TGA), XRD, Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET) analysis, and point-of-zero charge determination were used to characterize G-ZnO-Cs. Further study investigates the impact of five key processing parameters, namely pH, interaction duration, G-ZnO-Cs dosage, temperature, and initial concentration of dyes, on the removal of three organic dyes Reactive Blue 19 (RB 19), Reactive Orange 16 (RO 16), and Congo Red (CR) The adsorption process of Reactive Blue 19 (RB 19), Reactive Orange 16 (RO 16), and Congo Red (CR) dyes on G-ZnO-Cs were determined to comply to the pseudo-second-order (PSO) and Langmuir models, as determined through equilibrium and kinetic experiments. The highest adsorption capabilities for RB 19, RO 16 and CR dye were revealed to be 219.6 mg/g, 129.6 mg/g, and 118.8 mg/g, respectively. The elimination success rate of the fixed-bed column approach for treating huge volumes was highlighted in the conducted research. Moreover, the G-ZnO-Cs composite exhibited significant reusability due to its ability to undergo elution and simultaneous regeneration processes.

Keywords: Adsorption; Chitosan; Dyes; Wastewater treatment; ZnO nanoparticles.