Work

Cationic surfactant modified NaY zeolite: Preparation, investigating the effect of surfactant concentration, and application for methyl orange adsorption from aqueous solution

Year: 2025

Type: article

Abstract: Surfactant-modified zeolites (SMZs) are regarded as low-cost and effective adsorbents which have the capability to remove multiple classes of contaminants, including dyes. In the present study, faujasite type NaY zeolite was modified with CTAB cationic surfactant to investigate how CTAB concentration in terms of CMC affects the structure of CTAB coverage formed on the surface of zeolite. Analyses of FTIR, zeta potential, contact angle, TGA/DTG, FE-SEM, and EDS were conducted to determine the characteristics of NaY and CTAB-modified zeolites. Partial monolayer (hemimicelle) coverage of CTAB monomers was characterized on the surface of all CTAB-modified zeolites. The performance of unmodified and surfactant-modified zeolites for the elimination of methyl orange (MO) dye from aqueous solution was compared, and modified NaY with CTAB solution with a concentration of 1CMC (SMY-1CMC) exhibited the highest MO removal efficiency. The influence of adsorbent dosage, contact time, initial pH, and MO initial concentration on the MO removal efficiency was investigated, and the maximum MO removal efficiency for the optimized dosage of 1 g/L was obtained at pH 7, and the equilibrium time of 90 min. Hydrogen bond formation, electrostatic interaction, hydrophobic interaction, and cation-π interaction were identified to participate in the MO adsorption onto the surface of SMY-1CMC. According to the kinetic and equilibrium studies, the Elovich kinetic model and Sips isotherm demonstrated the best correlation with experimental data, suggesting the chemisorption of MO onto the heterogeneous surface of the adsorbent. The maximum adsorption capacity was determined to be 94.3755 mg/g based on the Sips isotherm.

Source: Journal of environmental chemical engineering

DOI: 10.1016/j.jece.2025.116406

Authors: Elnaz Hosseinpour, Ahmad Rahbar-Kelishami

Institution: Iran University of Science and Technology

Language: English

Topic: Adsorption and biosorption for pollutant removal

Subfield: Water Science and Technology

Field: Environmental Science

Domain: Physical Sciences

SDG: Clean water and sanitation

Open Access status: hybrid

Estimated APC paid: $3,350