Background:
Water resource contamination, particularly by industrial dyes, is a major
environmental challenge and a serious threat to public health. The discharge of
these compounds into aquatic environments reduces water quality, damages aquatic
ecosystems, and poses health risks. Therefore, the development of green, efficient,
and recoverable adsorbents for removing dye pollutants from wastewater is
essential.
Objective:
This study aimed to design and synthesize an environmentally friendly hybrid
aerogel with simultaneous adsorption and catalytic capability (multifunctional),
easy recovery, and high stability for the removal and oxidation of methylene blue,
Safranin-O, and fuchsin dyes in aqueous media. Additionally, determination of
optimal operational conditions using a multivariate statistical approach was
investigated.
Methodology:
A hybrid aerogel based on the biopolymer sodium alginate was synthesized. To
impart magnetic properties and improve structure, Fe₃O₄ nanoparticles synthesized
using Aloe vera extract were incorporated into the aerogel matrix. The surface was
then modified by Ag@Ag₂O nanoparticles synthesized using palm tree-leaf extract
via the immersio method.
For pseudo-Fenton investigations, chitosan was also incorporated into the aerogel
structure to enhance stability and catalytic degradation performance.
Structural and morphological characterization was performed using XRD, SEM,
FTIR, EDS, DLS, and AFM analyses.
Experimental design was conducted using a factorial approach, and the effects of
operational variables (pH, adsorbent dosage, and contact time) were analyzed using
MANOVA statistical testing. Results indicated that pH and adsorbent dosage
significantly affected removal efficiency, while contact time showed no significant
effect. Partial least squares regression (PLS-R) was used for modeling, prediction,
and optimization. Optimal conditions were selected based on both predicted
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responses and residual analysis, choosing experiments w
