Ethylenediaminetriacetic acid-functionalized activated carbon derived from Posidonia oceanica for the removal of Cu(ii).

Posidonia oceanica, a Mediterranean marine plant, was used in this research to prepare activated carbon. The carbon generated underwent functionalization with ethylenediaminetriacetic acid using N-[(3-trimethoxysilyl)propyl]-ethylenediaminetriacetic acid. The materials were characterized and then used as absorbents to remove copper(ii) ions from water. The Brunauer-Emmett-Teller surface areas were found to be 363 and 346 m2 g-1 for activated carbon and functionalized activated carbon, respectively. Adsorption studies were performed under several experimental conditions, such as varying adsorbent dosage, pH, temperature, and time. Kinetic data were fitted using pseudo-first- and pseudo-second-order and intraparticle diffusion kinetic models. The experimental findings were analyzed using the Temkin, Langmuir, Dubinin-Radushkevich, and Freundlich models. The kinetic data were well fitted by the pseudo-second-order model, and the adsorption process was well described by the Langmuir model. The functionalized activated carbon exhibited a higher maximum adsorption capacity of 175.43 mg g-1 for Cu(ii) removal. The Dubinin-Radushkevich model exhibited an adsorption energy of 2.620 kJ mol-1, indicating a physical sorption process. Overall, this study showed that activated carbon derived from Posidonia oceanica and functionalized with ethylenediaminetriacetic acid has the potential to act as an adsorbent for Cu2+ removal.