Mechanistic investigation of methylene blue adsorption by copper oxide loaded bentonite

A common dye in the food, paper, cosmetics, textile, and pharmaceutical sectors is methylene blue. The contamination of water by dyes like methylene blue poses a threat to the ecosystem. In order to solve this problem, the wastewater released from these industries must be treated. The methylene blue adsorption mechanism by copper-loaded bentonite (Cu-Bt) was examined in this work. XRD, SEM, FTIR, and BET studies were used to examine the physicochemical properties of the synthesized Cu-Bt. It was found that the BET surface area of Cu-Bt was 83.49 m2/g. The kinetic model and adsorption isotherm were compatible with the PSO and Langmuir models. The adsorption process exhibited a ΔH° value of 11.9745 kJ/mol. The ΔG° values dropped as the temperature rose. The thermodynamic parameters showed that methylene blue adsorption was endothermic and spontaneous. The adsorption of methylene blue on Cu-Bt was found to be physical in nature. The characterization results after adsorption showed that methylene blue was largely removed from the aqueous solution with Cu-Bt. Because of its high adsorption capacity (588.235 mg/g), Cu-Bt can be a viable alternative adsorbent for use in water treatment operations.