ISSN print edition: 0366-6352 ISSN electronic edition: 1336-9075 Registr. No.: MK SR 9/7 Published monthly

Comparative investigation of naphthalene and pyrene adsorption by modified nanocellulose with titanium oxide

Pooja Ranwala and Jitender Pal

Department of Environmental Science and Engineering, Guru Jambheshwar University of Science and Technology, Hisar, India

E-mail: poojaranwala1603@yahoo.com

Received: 30 October 2023  Accepted: 18 February 2024

Abstract:

The poisoning of the environment is currently one of the most important concerns on a global scale. Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, also known as PAHs, are one of the most difficult problems associated with the indemnification of the hydrosphere. This issue was caused by the inadvertent release of reactive chemicals into the environment. Prepared nanocellulose was modified with titanium oxide. Using TiO₂@nanocellulose as chemical adsorbents, PAHs, like naphthalene and pyrene, were effectively removed from aqueous solution. The structural and morphological properties of the synthesized adsorbents were determined through XRD, FTIR, FE-SEM, and BET analysis. From the results, it was confirmed that titanium was successfully loaded onto the surface of nanocellulose. At low pH, naphthalene and pyrene were eliminated most effectively after 120 min. Thermodynamic, error analysis, kinetic, and isotherm models were applied to the experimental data. The error analysis showed that the sorption process was well described by the pseudo-second-order and Langmuir models. Nearly 84.3% and 73% of the naphthalene and pyrene, respectively, were eliminated at its peak removal efficiency. The effectiveness of TiO₂@nanocellulose in terms of desorption and reuse was also studied. This research suggests that the presence of active sites and increased surface area of TiO₂@nanocellulose increases its removal capacity for naphthalene and pyrene.

Graphical abstract

Keywords: Naphthalene; Pyrene; Adsorption; Desorption; Kinetics; TiO2@nanocellulose; Error analysis; Thermodynamics

Full paper is available at www.springerlink.com.

DOI: 10.1007/s11696-024-03378-6

Chemical Papers 78 (7) 4175–4187 (2024)