Fabrication of cellulose nanocrystals/carboxymethyl cellulose/zeolite membranes for methylene blue dye removal: understanding factors, adsorption kinetics, and thermodynamic isotherms

Mostafa Ahmed Ibrahim; Ahmed Salama; Fouad Zahran; Mohamed Saleh Abdelfattah; Ali Alsalme; Mikhael Bechelany; Ahmed Barhoum

doi:10.3389/fchem.2024.1330810

Fabrication of cellulose nanocrystals/carboxymethyl cellulose/zeolite membranes for methylene blue dye removal: understanding factors, adsorption kinetics, and thermodynamic isotherms

Front Chem. 2024 Feb 2:12:1330810. doi: 10.3389/fchem.2024.1330810. eCollection 2024.

Authors

Mostafa Ahmed Ibrahim^{1

2}, Ahmed Salama³, Fouad Zahran⁴, Mohamed Saleh Abdelfattah⁵, Ali Alsalme⁶, Mikhael Bechelany^{7

8}, Ahmed Barhoum¹

Affiliations

¹ NanoStruc Research Group, Chemistry Department, Faculty of Science, Helwan University, Cairo, Egypt.
² Production and R&D Unit, NanoFab Technology Company, Giza, Egypt.
³ Cellulose and Paper Department, National Research Centre, Giza, Egypt.
⁴ Chemistry Department, Faculty of Science, Helwan University, Cairo, Egypt.
⁵ Marine Natural Products Research Unit, Faculty of Science, Helwan University, Cairo, Egypt.
⁶ Department of Chemistry, College of Science, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
⁷ Institut Européen des Membranes (IEM), UMR 5635, University of Montpellier, ENSCM, CNRS, Montpellier, France.
⁸ Gulf University for Science and Technology, GUST, Kuwait.

Abstract

This study introduces environmentally-friendly nanocellulose-based membranes for AZO dye (methylene blue, MB) removal from wastewater. These membranes, made of cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs), carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC), zeolite, and citric acid, aim to offer eco-friendly water treatment solutions. CNCs, obtained from sugarcane bagasse, act as the foundational material for the membranes. The study aims to investigate both the composition of the membranes (CMC/CNC/zeolite/citric acid) and the critical adsorption factors (initial MB concentration, contact time, temperature, and pH) that impact the removal of the dye. After systematic experimentation, the optimal membrane composition is identified as 60% CNC, 15% CMC, 20% zeolites, and 5% citric acid. This composition achieved a 79.9% dye removal efficiency and a 38.3 mg/g adsorption capacity at pH 7. The optimized membrane exhibited enhanced MB dye removal under specific conditions, including a 50 mg adsorbent mass, 50 ppm dye concentration, 50 mL solution volume, 120-min contact time, and a temperature of 25°C. Increasing pH from neutral to alkaline enhances MB dye removal efficiency from 79.9% to 94.5%, with the adsorption capacity rising from 38.3 mg/g to 76.5 mg/g. The study extended to study the MB adsorption mechanisms, revealing the chemisorption of MB dye with pseudo-second-order kinetics. Chemical thermodynamic experiments determine the Freundlich isotherm as the apt model for MB dye adsorption on the membrane surface. In conclusion, this study successfully develops nanocellulose-based membranes for efficient AZO dye removal, contributing to sustainable water treatment technologies and environmental preservation efforts.

Keywords: adsorption parameters; carbohydrate polymers; cross-linked membranes; methylene blue; nanocomposites; organic pollutants.

Grants and funding

The research, authorship, and/or publication of this article were made possible through financial support, for which the authors are grateful. AB and FZ extend their thanks to the Science and Technology Development Fund (STDF, ID 42811), and AA acknowledges the funding received from the Researchers Supporting Project number (RSP2024-R78) at King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.