Metal nanocomposite supported on gelatin chitosan hydrogel as a catalyst for the removal of toxins

In this study, a novel and effective double networks hydrogel (Gl-Cs/CuO-NiO) was fabricated using a method involving natural polymers; gelatin and chitosan along, with copper oxide and nickel oxide (CuO-NiO) nanocomposite in formaldehyde solution. The resulting hydrogel was thoroughly analyzed using SEM, XRD, and FT-IR techniques. The hydrogel was utilized as a catalyst for the reduction of both organic and inorganic pollutants; methyl orange (MO), crystal violet (CV) and potassium hexacyanoferrate (K₃[Fe(CN)₆]) in the presence of a reducing agent (NaBH₄). The Gl-Cs /CuO-NiO hydrogel exhibited performance in reducing the targeted pollutants, which took 120, 28 and 30 s for MO, CV and K₃[Fe(CN)₆], respectively. Moreover, the catalytic efficiency of the hydrogel was studied for MO by adjusting its concentrations, varying the reducing agent concentration and altering the amount of hydrogel. Lastly, the efficiency of the Gl-Cs/CuO-NiO hydrogel was evaluated for MO removal in real samples and displayed exceptional reduction capabilities.