Tailoring an efficient nanocomposite of activated carbon-layered double hydroxide for elimination of water-soluble dyes

Abstract

We offer a potential nanocomposite of layered double hydroxide (LDH) nanoparticles and activated carbon (AC) for the elimination of water-soluble dyes from wastewater. The composite was synthesized through a hydrothermal treatment of magnesium and aluminum ions in the presence of AC layers which produced from Phoenix dactylifera fruit pits. The impact of different adsorption conditions were tested to collect the best conditions using LDH-AC composite as an adsorbent and methylene blue (MB) as a model of water-soluble dyes. The LDH-AC composite exhibited superior affinity towards the removal of MB molecules. The capacity for adsorption of MB reached 250.2 mg/g at pH 9. The maximum adsorption capacity reached 816 mg/g at room temperature for a monolayer of LDH-AC composites. The recyclability studies showed a five times use of LDH-AC composite as an adsorbent for MB with an efficiency of 70% at the fifth cycle. The existence of interference cations (Mg2+, K+, and Na+) or anions such as (NO3−, SO42−, and Cl−) had a limited influence on the MB adsorption.