Greener Synthesis of Poly(LIM-<i>co</i>-DVB-<i>co</i>-AMPS): A Sustainable Approach to Methylene Blue Removal

A novel environmentally friendly adsorbent, poly(limonene-<i>co</i>-divinylbenzene-<i>co</i>-2-acrylamido-2-methyl-1-propanesulfonic acid, LIM-<i>co</i>-DVB-<i>co</i>-AMPS), was synthesized and applied for the adsorption of methylene blue from aqueous solutions in this study. The structure, morphology, and thermal stability of the green adsorbent were determined by the FTIR, SEM, TGA/DTA/DTG, and BET techniques, ζ potential, and elemental analysis. The efficiency of the adsorption process was improved with respect to several experimental conditions, viz., adsorbent dose, pH, and contact time. The adsorption process was found to fit very well with the Langmuir isotherm and the pseudo-second-order model. Benefiting from the higher number of surface sites, porous structure, and good surface area, poly(LIM-<i>co</i>-DVB-<i>co</i>-AMPS) particles exhibited a superior adsorption performance for MB with a Langmuir adsorption capacity of 98 mg g^-1. The selectivity of the sorbent does not depend on the coexisting ions, and the sorbent is applicable in complex matrixes in the presence of these ions. The elution process was employed using ethanol within a 1.0 M hydrochloric acid (HCl) medium, leading to a remarkable usability exceeding 90% even after five consecutive adsorption/desorption cycles. Spike recovery experiments conducted using real water samples substantiate the practical applicability of the adsorbent. The high efficiency, utilization of cost-effective materials, and ease of fabrication, coupled with their selective nature and lower environmental impact through sorbent reuse, collectively confer superior advantages. These distinctive features render the environmentally benign adsorbent highly applicable for promising applications in the removal of methylene blue from aqueous solutions.