Simultaneous Adsorptive Removal of Methylene Blue and Copper Ions from Aqueous Solution by Ferrocene-Modified Cation Exchange Resin

Resin was modified with ferrocene (Fc) to enhance removal of Methylene Blue (MB) and Cu2+ from simulated wastewater. The FTIR, N-2-BET, and X-ray fluorescence analysis confirmed that Fc was successfully grafted onto the surface of resin. The adsorption capacity of Fc modified cation exchange resin (FMCER) was calculated to be 392.16 mg/g Cu2+ and 10.01 mg/g MB. Both processes were spontaneous and exothermic, best described by Langmuir equation. Pseudo-first-order kinetic model satisfied the adsorption of MB, while the intraparticle-diffusion model fitted the kinetics of Cu2+ adsorption best. The result revealed a multilayer adsorption of Cu2+ on FMCER, and the kinetics maybe controlled by intraparticle diffusion, film diffusion, and competition force. The adsorption of MB and Cu2+ on FMCER were physicosorptive, with activation energies of 2.09 and 1.27 kJ/mol. pH 2-7 and 4-5 are optimum for the removal of MB and Cu2+, and pH 4 is optimal for the simultaneous removal of MB and Cu2+. (C) 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.