Adsorption of Methylene Blue and Malachite Green from Aqueous Solutions on Mesoporous Carbon-Nickel and Carbon-Zinc Composites

Abstract

Adsorpcja błękitu metylenowego i zieleni malachitowej z roztworów wodnych na mezoporowatych kompozytach węglowo-niklowych i węglowo-cynkowychIn this work adsorption of methylene blue and malachite green on mesoporous carbon-nickel and carbon-zinc composites (ST-A-Ni, ST-A-Ni(NO3)2-imp and ST-A-Zn, ST-A-Zn(NO3)2-imp) were investigated. These materials were obtained by the soft-templating method in presence of various precursors containing nickel or zinc. Nanoparticles of nickel or zinc and solutions of nickel nitrate(V) or zinc nitrate(V) were used as a source of nickel and zinc.Low-temperature nitrogen adsorption isotherms were determined for investigated materials and they were used for porous structure parameters calculation. . Participation of mesoporosity in the total porosity of carbon composites is from approx. 44% to approx. 78%. This means that studied carbons are in fact mesoporous materials, with considerable domination of mesoporosity over the microporosity. The exception is composite ST-A-Zn were the microporosity value is a little bit higher than mesoporosity. The mesopores dimension for the maximum of the distribution function (in the range of mesopores) was determined by Kruk-Jaroniec-Sayari (KJS) method. This dimension was approx. 7 nm for all investigated adsorbents.SEM photos confirmed the presence of ordered mesopores, particularly in materials obtained as a result of zinc nitrate impregnation. Also the presence of nickel nanoparticles, with different dimensions and shapes (ST-A-Ni), was confirmed by SEM photos.The concentrations of adsorbates, before and after adsorption, were determined by spectrophotometric method. Adsorption experiments were carried out at 25°C temperature. The adsorption equilibrium for investigated in this work mesoporous compositions (carbon--metal-composite -colorant solution) was settled after 90 minutes (ST-A-Ni(NO3)2-imp-MB and ST-A-Zn(NO3)2-imp-MB), after 120 minutes (ST-A-Ni-MB), after 240 minutes (ST-A-Ni-MG) and for the rest of investigated compositions after 360 minutes. The studies of adsorption process velocity showed that in most cases adsorption kinetics proceeded according to pseudo II-order reaction model. Only in one case according to pseudo I-order reaction model: for ST-A-Zn (malachite green). Obtained adsorption isotherms were substituted into the Langmuir equation and Freundlich equation. Adsorption process of methylene blue and malachite green on all studied carbon-metal composites proceed in accordance to adsorption model described by Langmuir equation. Adsorption ability of studied mesoporous carbon materials is significantly higher for methylene blue than for malachite green. The best adsorbent for methylene blue was carbon ST-A-Zn(NO3)2-imp (qm = 104.17 mg/g), the worst K. Jedynak 44 adsorbent was carbon ST-A-Zn (qm = 6.65 mg/g). In the case of malachite green the best adsorbent was carbon ST-A-Ni (qm = 58.82 mg/g) and the worst adsorbent was carbon ST-A-Zn (qm = 4.25 mg/g). On the basis of K constant from Langmuir equation the value of free ent...