Abstract
The phase inversion technique was used to successfully immobilize a submerged aquatic plant called Myriophyllum spicatum L. onto hybrid polymeric beads of Polyacrylonitrile/Polyvinylpyrrolidone (PAN/PVP). The surface morphology of the fabricated beads exhibited a porous structure with a homogeneous morphology. While their thermogram demonstrated a positive impact of PVP incorporation. In this study, the fabricated hybrid beads were tested against Safranin O as a dye adsorption model. Thus, the various parameters affecting Safranin O dye uptake onto the synthesized beads, such as time of contact, initial Safranin O concentration, adsorbent dose, and pH have been investigated and optimized using statistical response surface methodology (RSM). The results revealed that within 4 h, the fabricated PAN/PVP-M. spicatum beads showed a maximum adsorption capacity towards Safranin O dye of up to 217 mg g(-1) using 0.3 g of the fabricated beads. The adsorption isotherm results were also fit to the Langmuir, Freundlich, and Temkin models, with the Langmuir model performing the best. The kinetic studies, on the other hand, obeyed the pseudo-second-order, and the fabricated PAN/PVP-M. spicatum beads showed appropriate reusability in the uptake of Safranin O dye from wastewater. Finally, the newly developed fabricated (PAN/PVP-M. spicatum) hybrid beads pave the way for the use of low-cost, efficient natural materials for wastewater treatment in the textile industry.