Reusable Nanostructured Clay for Environmental Detoxification: Adsorption of Crystal Violet Dye and Regeneration Performance
نویسندگان
1 Department of Pharmacology, College of Pharmacy, University of Al-Ameed, Karbala, Iraq
2 Department of Chemistry, College of Sciences for Girls, University of Babylon, Hilla, Iraq
3 Department of Medical Laboratories Technology, AL-Nisour University College, Baghdad, Iraq
4 Department of Medical Laboratories Technology, Mazaya University College, Iraq
5 Department of Sciences, Al-Manara College For Medical Sciences, Maysan, Iraq
6 Department of Chemistry, College of Sciences for Girls, University of Babylon, Hilla, Iraq
doi
10.22052/JNS.2026.01.008چکیده
Industrial dye pollution, particularly from textile and dyeing sectors, poses a significant threat to aquatic ecosystems and public health due to the toxic, non-biodegradable, and persistent nature of synthetic dyes. In this study, a green, regenerable nanoclay-based adsorbent was developed and evaluated for the effective removal of crystal violet (CV) dye from aqueous solutions. The nanostructured clay material was prepared via a simple physical exfoliation and chemical modification approach to enhance its surface area, active sites, and adsorption efficiency. Comprehensive structural and morphological characterizations were conducted using X-ray diffraction (XRD), field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). The results confirmed the formation of a highly porous, thermally stable nanoclay with an expanded layered structure and a high surface area, making it suitable for dye adsorption. In the initial regeneration trials, three different activating agents—acid, base, and distilled water were evaluated for their effectiveness in washing and desorbing the adsorbed dye from the nanoclay surface. Among these, distilled water demonstrated the highest efficiency in removing the dye residues without causing structural degradation of the material. Due to its superior performance and eco-friendly nature, water was selected as the optimal regenerating agent for all subsequent activation and reusability cycles. Reusability studies were conducted over five consecutive adsorption-desorption cycles using water as a desorbing agent. The nanoclay retained over 91% of its initial adsorption efficiency after five cycles, demonstrating excellent structural integrity, regeneration capability, and long-term applicability.
