Congo red dye reduction mediated by the electron (e−) transfer route of BH4 − ions using synthesized NiCo2O4/rGO hybrid nanosheets.

Abstract

The treatment of toxic organic pollutants is extremely important for the conservation of clean air, soil, and water. In this study,(reduced graphene oxide) NiCo 2 O 4/rGO hybrid nanocomposite was prepared by a facile hydrothermal technique and employed for organic dye adsorption from wastewater. The synthesized NiCo 2 O 4/rGO hybrid nanocomposite was studied using FTIR, XRD, SEM, TEM, BET, Raman spectroscopy, and UV-visible. The physical characterizations prove the deposition of NiCo 2 O 4 particles on the rGO surface. The transmission electron microscope image demonstrated that the NiCo 2 O 4 particles with an average size of∼ 46 nm was dispersed on the rGO surface. The obtained nanoparticles show a higher specific surface area of 56.4 m 2 g− 1. Adsorption dynamics as investigated by time and concentration variation show that the adsorption data follows pseudosecond order kinetics and the Langmuir isotherm model, with a maximum adsorption capacity of 106.2 mg g− 1, indicating homogeneous physiochemical adsorption of CR dye on the adsorbent surface. Besides, the catalytic effectiveness of synthesized nanocomposite towards Congo red (CR) dye reduction mediated by the electron (e−) transfer route of BH 4− ions was explained in detail. The electrostatic interaction used between the NiCo 2 O 4/rGO hybrid composite and Congo red increased the adsorption ion effectiveness of the dye sample.