Biochar-derived adsorbents for removal of Rhodamine B from wastewater

Abstract

Rhodamine B (RhB), a synthetic organic dye poses environmental risks due to improper disposal, contributing to bioaccumulation; its elimination from wastewater is essential to safeguard environmental and human health. A diverse array of adsorbents, including metal oxides, activated carbon, clay-based materials, and agricultural waste derivatives, have been employed for RhB adsorption from wastewater. The burgeoning interest in biochar-based adsorbents for RhB removal is underpinned by their merits including high porosity, abundant surface functionalities, customizable surface area, and exceptional recyclability. This review delves into biochar adsorbents for the efficient removal of RhB from wastewater. Adsorption kinetics, isotherms, and thermodynamics studies governing RhB adsorption are discussed here. A distinctive aspect of this work is the integration of density functional to elucidate the fundamental molecular interactions between the adsorbent and RhB, providing insights into electronic structure, binding energies, and complex adsorption geometries, along with response surface methodology to systematically optimize experimental parameters.