Fe3O4/BC for Methylene Blue Removal from Water: Optimization, Thermodynamic, Isotherm, and Kinetic Studies

In this research, a nanoscale magnetic biosorbent was synthesized by incorporating magnetic nanoparticles (Fe₃O₄ NPs) into a natural carbon framework derived from black cumin (BC) seeds. The prepared Fe₃O₄/BC was utilized as a low-cost, eco-friendly, and reusable nanobiosorbent for the removal of organic (e.g., methylene blue (MB) dye) pollutants from synthetic solutions. The results indicated that Fe₃O₄/BC had extensive surface oxygenous functional groups with a high affinity for MB dye capture at different concentrations such as 10-60 mg L^-1. The optimization results suggested the removal of ~99% of methylene blue from its initial concentration (i.e., 10 mg L^-1) using 2.0 g L^-1 of Fe₃O₄/BC at pH = 7, temperature = 27 °C, and contact time = 120 min, with equilibrium adsorption capacity = 5.0 mg g^-1 and partition coefficient = ~57.0 L g^-1. The equilibrium adsorption efficacy at the highest initial concentration (i.e., 60.0 mg L^-1) was found to be 29.0 mg g^-1. The adsorption isotherm was well explained by the Freundlich model for MB. The renderability of this magnetic bioadsorbent by acid treatments showed a ~66% decline in removal efficiency (%) (~99% to ~33%; ~5.0 to ~1.7 mg g^-1) for MB after six repetitive cycles of adsorption and desorption. The current Fe₃O₄/BC gives a better partition coefficient than previously reported acid-washed BC seeds and other BC-seed-based nanobioadsorbents, Hence, a synthesized Fe₃O₄/BC nanobiosorbent demonstrates potential for use in treating water contaminated with organic pollutants.