Synthesis of Oxidized Carboxymethyl Cellulose-Chitosan & its Composite Films with SiC and Silica-coated SiC Nanoparticles for Dye Adsorption Study

Abstract

Environmental pollution due to discharge of synthetic dyes into water bodies has become a critical issue in recent times. To address this challenge, the present study focuses on the development of innovative and eco-friendly adsorbents for efficient dye removal. The aim of this research is to synthesize oxidized carboxymethyl cellulose-chitosan and its composite films, incorporating silicon carbide (SiC) and silica-coated SiC nanoparticles, and evaluate their performance for dye adsorption. The resulting composite films were characterized by using various analytical techniques, including Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), X-ray diffraction (XRD), Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX). The dye adsorption properties of the synthesized composite films were comprehensively investigated. Batch adsorption experiments were conducted using MB dye solution, and the effects of parameters such as contact time, initial dye concentration, catalyst dosages, temperature and pH were systematically evaluated. The adsorption kinetics and isotherms were analyzed to understand the adsorption mechanism and factors influencing the adsorption process. The experimental results demonstrated that pure oxidized carboxymethyl cellulose-chitosan films have high dye adsorption capabilities as compared to its nanocomposite films with SiC and silica-coated SiC nanoparticles. The incorporation of SiC and silica coated SiC nanoparticles blocked the active sites and thereby reduced dye adsorption efficiency. The synthesized oxidized carboxymethyl cellulose-chitosan composite films with SiC and silica-coated SiC nanoparticles present a promising and environmentally friendly approach to mitigate dye pollution from aqueous systems.