Abstract
The water resources contamination in an alarming concern for sustainable environment. This has led to development of new technologies and materials for waste water detoxification. In the present study, we have fabricated novel trimetallic based mixed oxides decorated reduced graphene oxide (rGO) composite using facile microwave method and utilized it as an adsorbent for the removal of congo red dye from aqueous solution. The final composite showed highly agglomerated metal oxides present on the rGO surface. The high surface area and activity of the synthesized adsorbent resulted in its high adsorption capacity of 333.32 mg/g for congo red. The Langmuir model better explained the isotherm data indicating the monolayer adsorption of congo red molecules onto Ag2O–Al2O3–ZrO2/rGO surface. The grander adsorption ability of Ag2O–Al2O3–ZrO2/rGO towards organic dye indicate its probable utilization in the removal of other dyes also from wastewater.
•Trimetallic oxides decorated into rGO matrix were synthesized.•Adsorption of congo red from aqueous solution was investigated.•Maximum adsorption capacity of 333.32 mg/g was obtained using Langmuir isotherm.•Langmuir model better explained the adsorption isotherm data and mechanism.