Efficient adsorptive removal of Congo Red dye using activated carbon derived from Spathodea campanulata flowers
Abstract This report investigates the preparation, characterization, and application of activated carbon derived from Spathodea campanulata flowers (SCAC) to remove Congo Red (CR) dye from aqueous streams. SCAC was synthesized using orthophosphoric acid activation which yielded a mesoporous material...
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Nature Portfolio
2025-01-01
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| author | Sujesh Sudarsan Gokulakrishnan Murugesan Thivaharan Varadavenkatesan Ramesh Vinayagam Raja Selvaraj |
| author_facet | Sujesh Sudarsan Gokulakrishnan Murugesan Thivaharan Varadavenkatesan Ramesh Vinayagam Raja Selvaraj |
| author_sort | Sujesh Sudarsan |
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| description | Abstract This report investigates the preparation, characterization, and application of activated carbon derived from Spathodea campanulata flowers (SCAC) to remove Congo Red (CR) dye from aqueous streams. SCAC was synthesized using orthophosphoric acid activation which yielded a mesoporous material with a specific surface area of (986.41 m2/g), significantly exceeding values reported for flower-derived activated carbons in the available literature. Field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM) image revealed an irregular, rough surface morphology pre-adsorption, which became smoother post-adsorption, indicating successful CR attachment. Elemental analysis through energy-dispersive x-ray spectroscopy (EDS) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) confirmed an increase in carbon content and the appearance of sulfur, verifying CR uptake. Adsorption kinetics obeyed the pseudo-second-order equation, signifying chemisorption, while the equilibrium dataset fitted better to the Langmuir model, with R2 of 0.9944, suggesting a monolayer adsorption mechanism with a maximum adsorption capacity of 59.27 mg/g. Thermodynamic analysis revealed spontaneous and endothermic adsorption process. Desorption studies showed methanol as the most effective desorbing agent, with SCAC retaining considerable adsorption capacity across six cycles, highlighting its reusability. In tests with real water matrices, SCAC demonstrated significantly higher removal efficiency in natural waters than control, suggesting enhanced adsorption in complex matrices. These findings underscore the practical applicability of SCAC in real-world wastewater treatment, offering a promising solution for large-scale industrial applications. |
| format | Article |
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| institution | Kabale University |
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| language | English |
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| spelling | doaj-art-c159d61872d1437b9d120594d67948582025-01-19T12:23:08ZengNature PortfolioScientific Reports2045-23222025-01-0115111810.1038/s41598-025-86032-9Efficient adsorptive removal of Congo Red dye using activated carbon derived from Spathodea campanulata flowersSujesh Sudarsan0Gokulakrishnan Murugesan1Thivaharan Varadavenkatesan2Ramesh Vinayagam3Raja Selvaraj4Department of Chemical Engineering, Manipal Institute of Technology, Manipal Academy of Higher EducationDepartment of Biotechnology, M.S.Ramaiah Institute of TechnologyDepartment of Biotechnology, Manipal Institute of Technology, Manipal Academy of Higher EducationDepartment of Chemical Engineering, Manipal Institute of Technology, Manipal Academy of Higher EducationDepartment of Chemical Engineering, Manipal Institute of Technology, Manipal Academy of Higher EducationAbstract This report investigates the preparation, characterization, and application of activated carbon derived from Spathodea campanulata flowers (SCAC) to remove Congo Red (CR) dye from aqueous streams. SCAC was synthesized using orthophosphoric acid activation which yielded a mesoporous material with a specific surface area of (986.41 m2/g), significantly exceeding values reported for flower-derived activated carbons in the available literature. Field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM) image revealed an irregular, rough surface morphology pre-adsorption, which became smoother post-adsorption, indicating successful CR attachment. Elemental analysis through energy-dispersive x-ray spectroscopy (EDS) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) confirmed an increase in carbon content and the appearance of sulfur, verifying CR uptake. Adsorption kinetics obeyed the pseudo-second-order equation, signifying chemisorption, while the equilibrium dataset fitted better to the Langmuir model, with R2 of 0.9944, suggesting a monolayer adsorption mechanism with a maximum adsorption capacity of 59.27 mg/g. Thermodynamic analysis revealed spontaneous and endothermic adsorption process. Desorption studies showed methanol as the most effective desorbing agent, with SCAC retaining considerable adsorption capacity across six cycles, highlighting its reusability. In tests with real water matrices, SCAC demonstrated significantly higher removal efficiency in natural waters than control, suggesting enhanced adsorption in complex matrices. These findings underscore the practical applicability of SCAC in real-world wastewater treatment, offering a promising solution for large-scale industrial applications.https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-86032-9AdsorptionActivated carbonSpathodea campanulataCongo red dyeRegenerationSpiking studies |
| spellingShingle | Sujesh Sudarsan Gokulakrishnan Murugesan Thivaharan Varadavenkatesan Ramesh Vinayagam Raja Selvaraj Efficient adsorptive removal of Congo Red dye using activated carbon derived from Spathodea campanulata flowers Scientific Reports Adsorption Activated carbon Spathodea campanulata Congo red dye Regeneration Spiking studies |
| title | Efficient adsorptive removal of Congo Red dye using activated carbon derived from Spathodea campanulata flowers |
| title_full | Efficient adsorptive removal of Congo Red dye using activated carbon derived from Spathodea campanulata flowers |
| title_fullStr | Efficient adsorptive removal of Congo Red dye using activated carbon derived from Spathodea campanulata flowers |
| title_full_unstemmed | Efficient adsorptive removal of Congo Red dye using activated carbon derived from Spathodea campanulata flowers |
| title_short | Efficient adsorptive removal of Congo Red dye using activated carbon derived from Spathodea campanulata flowers |
| title_sort | efficient adsorptive removal of congo red dye using activated carbon derived from spathodea campanulata flowers |
| topic | Adsorption Activated carbon Spathodea campanulata Congo red dye Regeneration Spiking studies |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-86032-9 |
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