Production of Ni0.5Co0.5Fe2O4/activated carbon@chitosan magnetic nanobiocomposite as a novel adsorbent of methylene blue in aqueous solutions

Abstract

Methylene blue is a cationic dye, not degraded naturally due to its aromatic rings. Accordingly, biological, chemical, and physical water treatment methods have been proposed for its removal. Adsorption is an economical and effective method in this regard. In this study, the nickel–cobalt ferrite/activated carbon@chitosan magnetic nanobiocomposite was synthesized as an adsorbent. The nano-adsorbent was evaluated with FESEM, which estimated the particle size at ~ 16.64 nm. According to EDAX analysis, the purity of particles was 99%. XRD characterization showed the successful coverage of chitosan, correct placement of nickel–cobalt ferrite, and the nono-structure of crystallites. The specific surface area was 316 m2/g using the BET theory and 285 m2/g using the Langmuir theory, and the porosity volume was 0.18 cm3/g. According to the VSM analysis, magnetic reluctance and coercive force were 1.1 emu/g and 499 Oe, respectively. The FTIR analysis showed that the reaction was successful, and methylene blue was present on the adsorbent surface. The methylene blue adsorption test indicated that 388 mg/g of the dye was adsorbed (97% dye removal), and the final concentration reached 6 mg/L after 8 h. The point of zero charge (pHpzc) was 6.8.