Synthesis, characterization and adsorptive application of ferrocene based mesoporous material for hazardous dye Congo red

Mesoporous adsorbent is prepared first time using ferrocene based surfactant as a template and adsorption of azo dye Congo red is investigated. Adsorbent is characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, dynamic light scattering and N₂ adsorption-desorption and deduced a lofty surface area of 342m²/g. Effect of contact time, adsorbent dose, initial dye concentration and temperature were speculated to optimize adsorption conditions. Experimental data were contemplated for various kinetics and thermodynamic models at different temperatures and insinuated that adsorption process is film diffusion controlled and followed second order kinetics. Langmuir model imparted high value of monolayer capacity as 312.5mg/g. The values of thermodynamic parameters like enthalpy (δH) and entropy (δS) were found to be 49.94kJ/mol and 265.5J/K/mol, respectively, and negative values of δG corroborated that the present adsorption system is feasible, spontaneous and endothermic.