Application of natural biomass of prickly pear peel in methyl violet 2b removal: Adsorptive multivariable optimization and mechanistic approach

• Published in: Biomass Conversion and Biorefinery
• Main Author: Reghioua A.; Mohammed I.A.; Busari Y.O.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Springer Science and Business Media Deutschland GmbH 2024
• Online Access: https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-85206609025&doi=10.1007%2fs13399-024-06216-7&partnerID=40&md5=391dada0987727af933546619b917610

Nowadays, ecosystems still suffer from the dire reflections of dye pollutants. This study explores the efficiency of eco-friendly and zero-cost adsorbent that was prepared using prickly pear (Opuntia basilris P.) peel (PPP). Statistical optimization using response surface methodology (RSM) combined with Box-Behnken design (BBD) was adopted to pinpoint the optimal conditions for Methyl Violet 2B dye removal, including PPP dose, solution pH, and reaction time. Surface analysis revealed that PPP possesses an enriched composition of nucleophilic functional groups, including OH, NH, and COOH in an alkane medium, leading to diversity in the adsorption mechanism, involving electrostatic attraction, hydrogen bonding, and π–π interactions. This diversity significantly contributed to reaching a maximum adsorption capacity for MV 2B of 569.6 mg/g. The change in thermodynamic state functions ΔG, ΔH, and ΔS suggests the possibility of physisorption simultaneously and indicates the exothermic and spontaneous characters of the adsorption of MV 2B dye on PPP with negative values of ΔH and ΔG. The findings of this research will further urge the current management of the water environment to embrace the use of PPP as a natural resource adsorbent without any chemical treatments in the remediation of organic dye-contaminated wastewater. © The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature 2024.