Gold Nanoparticles Loaded on Activated Carbon as Novel Adsorbent for Kinetic and Isotherm Studies of Methyl Orange and Sunset Yellow Adsorption

Abstract

In this research, a novel adsorbent gold nanoparticle loaded on activated carbon (Au-NP-AC) was synthesized by a low cost in a routine protocol. Subsequently, this novel material characterization and identification are followed by different techniques such as th eBruner–Emmet–Teller (BET) theory, scanning electron microcopy, and transmission electron microscopy analysis. Unique properties such as high BET surface area (>1229.55 m²/g) and low pore size (<22.46 Å) and average particle size lower than 48.798 Å in addition to high reactive atom and presence of various functional groups make it possible for efficient removal of sunset yellow (SY) and methyl orange (MO). Generally, the influence of variables including amount of adsorbent, initial dyes concentration, contact time, temperature on dyes removal percentage has great effect on removal percentage that their influence was optimized. The kinetic of proposed adsorption processes efficiently followed, pseudo-second-order and intra-particle diffusion approach. The equilibrium data of the removal strongly follow the Langmuir monolayer adsorption with high adsorption capacity in a short amount of time. This novel adsorbent by small amount (0.01 g) really is applicable for removal of high amount of both dyes (MO and SY) in short time (<18 minutes). Equilibrium data fitted well with the Langmuir model at all amount of adsorbent, while maximum adsorption capacity for MO 161.29 mg g⁻¹ and for SY 227.27 for 0.005 g of Au-NP-AC.

GRAPHICAL ABSTRACT

Keywords:

• Adsorption
• gold nanoparticles loaded on activated carbon
• kinetic and isotherm of adsorption
• methyl orange
• sunset yellow