Synthesis of chitosan-starch@Fe2O3 nanocomposite for efficient adsorption of methyl orange and methylene blue dyes from aqueous solutions

Modified chitosan-based materials have gained increasing attention for their high adsorption efficiency in removing diverse pollutants from aqueous solutions. Herein, to enhance the removal capability of chitosan-based compounds towards organic dyes, a new composite CS-ST@Fe 2 O 3 was synthesized via a one-pot reaction and applied for the removal of methyl orange (MO) and methylene blue (MB) from simulated wastewater using batch experiments. Under optimal adsorption conditions, the maximum removal of MO and MB was achieved to 98.63% and 97.56%, respectively. The adsorption results demonstrated that the adsorption mechanism obeyed the Pseudo-second-order (PSO) kinetic model and the Langmuir isotherm model, as a mainly monolayer chemisorption. Reuse experiments after 5 cycles predicted that the removal efficiency for MO and MB dyes in water is maintained at > 92%.