Effective adsorption of Orange G dye using chitosan cross-linked by glutaraldehyde and reinforced with quartz sand

In this study, quartz sand (QS) incorporated into a crosslinked chitosan-glutaraldehyde matrix (QS@Ch-Glu) was prepared and employed as an efficient adsorbent for the elimination of Orange G (OG) dye from water. The sorption process is adequately described by the pseudo-second order kinetic model and the Langmuir isotherm model with maximum adsorption capacities of 172.65, 188.18, and 206.65mg/g at 25, 35, and 45°C, respectively. A statistical physics model was adopted to elucidate the adsorption mechanism of OG on QS@Ch-Glu. Calculated thermodynamic factors revealed that the adsorption of OG is endothermic, spontaneous, and occurs via physical interactions. Overall, the proposed adsorption mechanism was based on electrostatic attractions, n-π stacking interaction, hydrogen bonding interaction, and Yoshida hydrogen bonding. The adsorption rate of QS@Ch-Glu was still above 95% even after 6 cycles of adsorption and desorption. Furthermore, QS@Ch-Glu demonstrated high efficiency in real water samples. All these findings demonstrate that QS@Ch-Glu is qualified for practical applications.