Abstract
Activated carbons decked with cuprous iodide-cupric oxide nano-composite were used as an adsorbent for the removal of lethal malachite green from the aqueous solution. The prepared adsorbent was characterized by means of various analytical techniques such as FE-SEM and XRD. To perk up the effectiveness of adsorption process, the effect of various influential parameters such as pH, adsorbent dosage, initial dye concentration, contact time and temperature were well elucidated and optimized using the batch experimental set-up. The optimum dosage, pH and contact time for CuI-CuO-AC were found to be 0.5 g/L, 7 and 20 min at 20 and 30 mg L-1 of MG, respectively. The adsorption equilibrium data was examined using various well-known isotherm models such as Langmuir, Freundlich, Dubinin and Radushkevish and Tempkin, and it was observed that the experimental equilibrium data was well fitted and found to be in good agreement with the Langmuir model. Also, the thermodynamic parameters such as Delta H, Delta S, E-a, S*, and Delta G were calculated and investigated, and on the basis of the obtained results we can conclude that the removal and adsorption process of MG was spontaneous and endothermic in nature. (C) 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.