Ionic Liquid‐Functionalized Silver Impregnated Carbonized Potato Peels for Efficient Removal of Cationic Dye Pollutants from Wastewater

Abstract Utilizing domestic agricultural and food waste for wastewater purification is potentially a majestic route to achieve “clean water for all” under the agenda of sustainable development goals (SDGs). In this study, waste of potato peels as effective biosorbents are studied after carbonization, introduction of nanoparticles, and functionalization with the ionic liquids. These solvents are of significant attraction to the scientists, industrialists, and environmentalists for their fundamental applications in water purification techniques. Potato peel waste was first carbonized to enhance its surface area and availability of active sites, which was further improvised by the synergistic effects of silver nanoparticle decoration and functionalization with the IL. The prepared biosorbent (DMAC) was tested for the sorption of methylene blue dye. The sorption capacity of the DMAC was noted as 40.15 mg g −1 for highly concentrated (70 ppm) aqueous solutions of methylene blue, and the process was observed to have fast equilibrium kinetics. The biosorbent was effective over ambient conditions of temperature and pH, and the sorption followed a chemisorption, exothermic, and spontaneous mechanism. The biosorbent composite exhibited good regeneration and recycling ability up to five cycles, making the process green and sustainable.