Sains Malaysiana 42(6)(2013): 819–826

Methylene Blue Adsorption on Graphene Oxide

(Penjerapan Metilena Biru ke Atas Grafin Oksida)

Chin Hua Chia*, Nur Fazlinda Razali, Mohd Shaiful Sajab, Sarani Zakaria

School of Applied Physics, Faculty of Science and Technology, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia

43600 Bangi, Selangor, Malaysia

Nay Ming Huang

Low Dimensional Materials Research Centre, Physics Department, University of Malaya

50603 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

Hong Ngee Lim

Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, Universiti Putra Malaysia

43400 UPM Serdang, Selangor, Malaysia

Received: 13 June 2012/Accepted: 13 September 2012

ABSTRACT

In this study, graphene oxide (GO), produced using the simple Hummer’s method, was used as adsorbent to remove methylene blue (MB) from aqueous solution. Characterizations using transmission electron microscope (TEM) and Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy were carried out on the GO before the MB adsorption experiments. The adsorption kinetics and isotherm studies were conducted under different conditions (pH = 3-7 and MB concentration = 100-400 mg/L) to examine the adsorption efficiency of the GO towards MB in aqueous solution. The adsorption kinetics data were analyzed using different kinetic models to investigate the adsorption behavior of MB on GO. The obtained results showed that the maximum adsorption capacity of the GO towards MB can achieve up to ~700 mg/g for the adsorption at 300 mg/L MB. The adsorption kinetic data were found to fit pseudo-second order model as compared with pseudo-first-order model. The intraparticle diffusion model suggested that the adsorption process of GO towards MB was dominated by the external mass transfer of MB molecules to the surface of GO.

Keywords: Adsorption isotherm; adsorption kinetics; intraparticle diffusion; methylene blue

ABSTRAK

Dalam penyelidikan ini, grafin oksida (GO) yang disediakan melalui kaedah Hummer telah digunakan sebagai bahan penjerap untuk menyingkirkan metilena biru (MB) daripada larutan akues. Pencirian menggunakan mikroskop elektron transmisi (TEM) dan spektroskopi inframerah transmisi Fourier (FTIR) telah dilakukan ke atas GO sebelum eksperimen penjerapan MB. Data kinetik penjerapan telah dianalisis dengan menggunakan model kinetik yang berlainan untuk mengkaji sifat penjerapan MB ke atas GO. Keputusan yang diperoleh menunjukkan bahawa kapasiti penjerapan maksimum GO terhadap MB mencapai ~700 mg/g daripada larutan MB berkepekatan 300 mg/L. Data kinetik penjerapan didapati berpadanan dengan model pseudo-tertib kedua. Model resapan intrazarah mencadangkan bahawa proses penjerapan MB ke atas GO adalah didominasi oleh pemindahan jisim luaran molekul MB ke permukaan GO.

Kata kunci: Isoterm penjerapan; kinetik penjerapan; metilena biru; resapan intrazarah

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*Corresponding author; email: chia@ukm.my