Chitosan-grafted salicylaldehyde/algae composite for methyl violet dye removal: adsorption modeling and optimization

Abstract

In this study, a hydrothermal approach was employed to graft chitosan (Chit)/algae (ALG) with salicylaldehyde (SA), resulting in the synthesis of a biocomposite named salicylaldehyde-based chitosan Schiff base/algae (Chit-SA/ALG). The main objective of this biocomposite was to effectively remove methyl violet (MV), an organic dye, from aqueous solutions. The adsorption performance of Chit-SA/ALG toward MV was investigated in detail, considering the effects of three factors: (A) Chit-SA/ALG dose (ranging from 0.02 to 0.1 g/100 mL), (B) pH (ranging from 4 to 10), and (C) time (ranging from 10 to 120 min). The Box–Behnken design (BBD) was utilized for experimental design and analysis. The experimental results exhibited a good fit with both the pseudo-second-order kinetic model and the Freundlich isotherm, suggesting their suitability for describing the MV adsorption process on Chit-SA/ALG. The maximum adsorption capacity of Chit-SA/ALG, as calculated by the Langmuir model, was found to be 115.6 mg/g. The remarkable adsorption of MV onto Chit-SA/ALG can be primarily attributed to the electrostatic forces between Chit-SA/ALG and MV as well as the involvement of various interactions such as n–π, π–π, and H-bond interactions. This research demonstrates that Chit-SA/ALG exhibits promising potential as a highly efficient adsorbent for the removal of organic dyes from water systems.

Novelty Statement

The novelty of this work comes from introducing a new bio-organic based composite adsorbent of chitosan (Chit) biopolymer and algae (ALG) biomass. Moreover, the functionality and chemical stability of Chit–ALG composite was further developed by grafting process with salicylaldehyde (SA) using hydrothermal process. The incorporation of ALG biomass into polymeric matrix of Chit and grafting process with SA makes Chit a unique hybrid adsorbent toward cationic dye (methyl violet dye).

Keywords:

• Adsorption
• algae
• Box–Behnken design
• cationic dyes
• chitosan
• grafting

Acknowledgments

The authors are thankful to the Faculty of Applied Sciences, Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM) Shah Alam, Malaysia for the research facilities. The author (Zeid A. ALOthman) is thankful to the Researchers Supporting Project No. (RSP2024R1), King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.