Statistical thermodynamics of adsorption of dye DR75 onto natural materials and its modifications: double-layer model with two adsorption energies

In this article, adsorption modelling was presented to describe the sorption of textile dye, Direct Red 75 (DR75), from coloured wastewater onto the natural and modified adsorbent, Posidonia oceanica. The formulation of the double-layer model with two energy levels was based on statistical physics and theoretical considerations. Thanks to the grand canonical ensemble in statistical physics some physicochemical parameters related to the adsorption process were introduced in the analytical model expression. Fitting results show that the dye molecules are adsorbed in parallel position to the adsorbent surface. The magnitudes of the calculated adsorption energies show that the DR75 dye is physisorbed onto Posidonia. Both Van der Waals and hydrogen interactions are implicated in the adsorption process. Despite its simplicity, the model fits a wide range of experimental data, thereby supporting the underlying data that the grafted groups facilitate the parallel anchorage of the anionic dye molecule. Thermodynamic parameters, such as adsorption energy, entropy, Gibbs free adsorption energy and internal energy were calculated according to the double-layer model. Results suggested that the DR75 adsorption onto Posidonia was a spontaneous and exothermic process.