Synthesis of a Chemically Modified Biosorbent Based on the Invasive Plant Leucaena leucocephala and Its Application in Metformin Removal

Abstract

The present study investigated the use of a biosorbent produced from Leucaena leucocephala pods for the removal of metformin from aqueous solutions. The pods were subjected to chemical and thermal treatments and were referred to as L. leucocephala modified, which was characterized using scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The parameters investigated in the sorption process were temperature, contact time, adsorbent dosage, pH, and initial metformin concentration. The experimental data were in accordance with the Langmuir isothermal model. The maximum adsorption capacity reached was 56.18 mg g−1 at 313 K. In the kinetic study, stability was achieved in 300 min, with 53.24% removal, and the pseudo-first-order model agreed well with the experimental data. The thermodynamic parameters indicated a spontaneous, favorable, and exothermic reaction. The presence of NaCl, CaCl2, and MgCl2 negatively affected metformin adsorption. Thus, the importance of the study was that a developed material showed promising results in the removal of metformin, particularly because it is an innovative material, and there are no studies in the literature on drug removal using L. leucocephala.