Bioengineered FeZn/GA@Cu nanocomposite utilizing spent coffee ground extract and gum arabic: Enhanced nitrate removal...

This research focused on synthesizing an eco-friendly FeZn/GA@Cu nanocomposite using spent coffee grounds and Gum Arabic (GA). The study aimed to investigate its effectiveness as both a photocatalyst and an adsorbent, specifically for removing nitrates from aqueous solutions. The prepared nanocomposite was characterized using various analytical techniques, including XRD, TGA, FESEM with EDS, TEM, BET, FTIR, zeta potential, UV-DRS, and VSM. The RSM method, an impressive removal efficiency of 95.28 % for nitrate was projected under the specific conditions of an optimal dose of 1.82 g/L, an initial concentration of 60.00 mg/L, a pH level of 5.85, and a reaction duration of 48.90 min. It was ascertained that the peak efficiency of 98.25 % could be achieved with a carefully calibrated dose of 1.94 g/L, an initial concentration of 62.69 mg/L, a pH of 5.16, and a reaction time contained within 45.75 min. The synthesized nanocomposites have shown potential antibacterial activity against gram+ve (Staphylococcus aureus) and gram-ve (Escherichia coli) pathogens. This study suggests that the FeZn/GA@Cu nanocomposite synthesized using spent coffee grounds has potential as a photocatalyst for removing nitrate from aqueous solutions.