Ultrasonic assisted adsorption of methylene blue dye and neural network model for adsorption of methylene blue dye by synthesised Mn-doped PbS nanoparticles

ABSTRACT

In the present study, the applicability of Mn-doped PbS nanoparticle synthesis for eliminating (methylene blue [MB]) dye rapidly from aqueous solutions was investigated. Identical techniques including Brunauer–Emmett–Teller theory, Fourier transform infrared, X-ray diffraction, thermogravimetric analysis, differential thermal analysis and scanning electron microscopy have been utilised to characterise this novel material. The investigation showed the applicability of Mn-doped PbS nanoparticles as an available, suitable and low-cost adsorbent for proper deletion of (MB) dye from aqueous media. Also, the impacts of variables including initial (MB) dye (X₁), pH (X₂), adsorbent dosage (X₃), sonication time (X₄), central composite design and response surface methodology (RSM) were shown. In the current article, the values of 10 mgL⁻¹, 0.025 g and 6.0 and 5.0 min were considered as the ideal values for (MB) dye removal, respectively. The adsorption data fitted well with the Langmuir isotherm model with correlation coefficient (R² > 0.999), and the maximum adsorption capacities (q_max) were observed to be 200.0 mg g⁻¹ for (MB) dye at desired conditions. The pseudo-second-order kinetics coincides quite well with the kinetic results. The thermodynamic parameters including enthalpy, entropy and Gibbs energy were calculated for the adsorption of these (MB) dyes using Mn-doped PbS nanoparticles that are suitable, spontaneous and exothermic. The use of artificial neural network model as a tool for determining mean square error (=0.607) for (MB) dye removal by Mn-doped PbS nanoparticles. Ultrasonic power had important role in shortening the adsorption time of (MB) dye by enhancing the dispersion of adsorbent in solution. Overall, Mn-doped PbS nanoparticles could be a promising adsorbent material for (MB) dye removal from aqueous solutions in a short time.

KEYWORDS:

• Methylene blue dye
• adsorption capacities
• Mn-doped PbS nanoparticles
• response surface methodology
• central composite design
• neural network model

Acknowledgements

The authors gratefully acknowledge the partial support for ‎this work by the Islamic Azad University, Branch of Omidiyeh, Iran.‎

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).