This study introduces a chitosan/boehmite biocomposite as an efficient adsorbent for removing anionic Congo Red (CR) and non-ionic Bromothymol Blue (BTB) from water. Boehmite nanoparticles were synthesized using the Sol-gel method and then attached to chitosan particles using sodium tripolyphosphate through co-precipitation method. Characterized through FTIR, FE-SEM, BET, and XRD, the biosorbent displayed structural integrity with optimized pH conditions of 3 for CR and 4 for BTB, achieving over 90 % adsorption within 30 min. Pseudo second order kinetics model and Langmuir isotherm revealed monolayer sorption with capacities of 64.93 mg/g for CR and 90.90 mg/g for BTB. Thermodynamics indicated a spontaneous and exothermic process, with physisorption as the primary mechanism. The biosorbent demonstrated excellent performance and recyclability over five cycles, highlighting its potential for eco-friendly dye removal in contaminated waters.
Keywords: Adsorption; Bromothymol blue; Chitosan/boehmite; Congo Red.
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