Cellulose and its derivatives, coffee grounds, and cross-linked, β-cyclodextrin in the race for the highest sorption capacity of cationic dyes in accordance with the principles of sustainable development

Abstract

In this study, seven different materials were analyzed and includes coffee grounds (CG), two types of cellulose (CGC and CC), two types of modified cellulose (CT and CTCD), and cross-linked β-cyclodextrin (CD-1 and CD-2) were tested as adsorbents for the removal of dyes from the wastewater. The composition, morphology, and presence of functional groups in the obtained sorption materials were characterized by elemental analysis, SEM, TG/DTA, and FTIR spectroscopy. The sorption processes of the model contaminant, crystal violet (CV), were studied by kinetics and equilibrium models. The results showed, that using CTCD, the dye was adsorbed rapidly in 1 min and the slowest adsorption occurred in 20 min by CG. The time evolution was adjusted using a two-model, pseudo second-order model (CG and CGC) and pseudo first-order model in the rest adsorbents. According to the Langmuir and Sips isotherm models, the maximum adsorption capacities were very high in each case ranging from 1092.24 to 1220.40 mg g-1. Moreover, the adsorption capacity of the near-natural materials remained even higher after five regeneration cycles. The regeneration is almost waste-free and the materials used can be decomposed during composting. In addition, almost complete removal of cationic dyes was observed during the treatment of real wastewater samples.