Work

Investigations of the Prosopis juliflora pods loaded polycaprolactone nanofibers for the effective removal of organic dyes and microbes

Year: 2026

Type: article

Abstract: Globally, textile waste alone accounts for 20% of water pollution. Most colored organic dyes are non-biodegradable and harm aquatic life and the surrounding ecosystem. The present study used the Prosopis juliflora (PJ) pod as a low-cost adsorbent to remove the dye. The prepared pod extract was readily incorporated into the biodegradable poly-ε-caprolactone (PCL) solution and subsequently electrospun, resulting in the formation of PJ/PCL blend nanofibers. Among all the prepared mats, 13% PJ/PCL exhibits a higher removal rate for Methyl Red (MR) dye, and the maximum adsorption capacity was found to be 32.8 mg/g. The Langmuir and Freundlich isotherm models predict the homogeneous adsorption of dye on the fiber mat, and the kinetic study revealed pseudo-second-order adsorption. The disk diffusion assay confirmed the antibacterial potency of the synthesized nanofibers against Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria. Though Prosopis juliflora is considered an invasive plant species, converting them into value-added products by simple surface modification of PCL with PF pod extract improved the physical and chemical properties of composite nanofibers to eradicate organic dyes and toxic microbes from water.

Source: Applied Water Science

DOI: 10.1007/s13201-026-02902-1

Authors: Balaji Nandhakumar, Raghavendra Ramalingam, A. V. Radhamani

Institutions: SRM Institute of Science and Technology, Saveetha University

Language: English

Topic: Adsorption and biosorption for pollutant removal

Subfield: Water Science and Technology

Field: Environmental Science

Domain: Physical Sciences

SDGs: Clean water and sanitation, Responsible consumption and production

Open Access status: gold

Estimated APC paid: $2,490