Development of Fe/ZnO/H+-montmorillonite nanocomposite for effective cationic dye (Methylene blue) removal from aqueous solutions

Pollution from industrial dye waste is a major environmental concern, especially in water bodies. These synthetic dyes often contain toxic substances that harm aquatic life and affect water quality. In response to this matter, the current research goal is to enhance the Montmorillonite's (MMT) adsorption efficiency through its transformation with acid activation and doping of metal oxide. This study presents the synthesis of a hybrid composite (Fe/ZnO/H + -MMT), combining acid-activated MMT with Iron and zinc oxide nanoparticles as an efficient adsorbent for the extraction of MB dye from water. The composite was then characterized by multiple analytical techniques like Powder XRD, FT-IR, BET, FESEM, and HRTEM. At a neutral pH, 120 min of time period, 100 mg/L of starting dye concentration, and 0.8 g/L of adsorbent dose at room temperature, this composite removes MB to 97.54 ± 0.14 %. The Langmuir model revealed a highest monolayer adsorption capacity (q max ) of 169.49 mg/g with R 2 = 0.9938 among the isotherm model, which indicates that the adsorption involves chemical interactions in the process of adsorption. In kinetic studies, this experiment fit the PSO quite well with R 2 = 0.99887 and the BET surface area is 171.287 m 2 /g. These outcomes demonstrate the potential of the Fe/ZnO/H + -MMT composite as a highly effective and promising adsorbent for MB removal from aqueous medium. A new hybrid nanocomposite (Fe/ZnO/H + -MMT) was created by acid-activated MMT doping with iron and zinc oxide nanoparticles and characterized using XRD, FT-IR, BET, FESEM, and HRTEM. Under ideal circumstances (neutral pH, 120 min, 0.8 g/L adsorbent, 100 mg/L dye), the composite effectively eliminated 97.54 ± 0.14 % of the MB dye. The Langmuir isotherm and PSO kinetics were found to be the best fitted isotherm and kinetic models, indicating chemisorption as the predominant mechanism. The composite shows great potential as an efficient adsorbent for the removal of MB from water. • A hybrid adsorbent (Fe/ZnO/H + -MMT) was synthesized using acid-treated montmorillonite, iron, and ZnO nanoparticles. • Its efficiency in removing methylene blue dye was systematically investigated. • The Langmuir model indicated a high monolayer adsorption capacity of 169.49 mg/g. • The adsorption process adhered to pseudo-second-order kinetics, indicating chemisorption. • The study provides a comparative evaluation with individual components and other materials.