Chitosan/Graphene Oxide Composite as an Effective Adsorbent for Reactive Red Dye Removal

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Environmental Chemistry
• Polymer Science

Background:

• Reactive Red (RR) dye is a common pollutant in industrial wastewater.
• Chitosan is a biodegradable polymer with potential for adsorbent development.
• Graphene oxide (GO) and reduced graphene oxide (rGO) can enhance material properties.

Purpose of the Study:

• To synthesize and characterize chitosan modified with GO and rGO.
• To investigate the adsorption capacity of these modified materials for RR dye.
• To determine the optimal conditions and mechanism for RR dye adsorption.

Main Methods:

• Chitosan was modified with varying dosages of GO and rGO.
• Characterization using FT-IR, XRD, SEM, EDX, BET, and TGA.
• Adsorption experiments were conducted by varying pH, temperature, adsorbent loading, and contact time.

Main Results:

• The maximum adsorption capacity for RR dye was 32.16 mg/g, fitting the Langmuir model.
• Adsorption was influenced by pH, temperature, adsorbent loading, and contact time.
• Kinetic studies indicated that the pseudo-second order model best described the adsorption process.

Conclusions:

• Chitosan modified with GO and rGO is an effective adsorbent for RR dye.
• The adsorption mechanism likely involves a chemical rate-limiting step, possibly through electron sharing or covalent forces.
• This study demonstrates a promising method for wastewater treatment using functionalized chitosan composites.