Adsorption of bovine serum albumin onto activated carbon prepared from elaeagnus stone

Abstract

In this study, the adsorption of bovine serum albumin was studied using the activated carbon prepared from Elaeagnus stone with chemical activation. Elaeagnus stone activated carbon was characterized using the point of zero charge, Fourier transform infrared spectra, Brunauer-Emmet-Teller method, scanning electron microscopy, and elemental analysis. The BET surface area of Elaeagnus stone activated carbon obtained by using 30% ZnCl2 (w/w) was determined to be 1588 m2/g. The effects of adsorbent dosages, contact time, initial bovine serum albumin concentrations, temperature and pH on the adsorption were investigated. The optimum values of adsorbent dosage, pH, and contact time were determined to be 1 mg/mL, 5, and 160 min for 500 mg/L BSA concentration, respectively. Additionally, the studies of adsorption equilibrium and kinetics were performed. The best fitting model from the experimental data was determined to be Langmuir model and the adsorption follows a pseudo-first-order kinetic model.