High yield glucose assisted carbonization of soy flour for dye removal applications

Suspension of glucose and soy flour (in fixed weight ratio of 1:0.3) was hydrothermally treated to synthesize N doped carbons. A systematic study has been carried out to understand the role of glucose in inducing soy flour carbonization. The formation mechanism of N-doped carbon spheroids from high protein agro waste and sachharides has been explained on the basis of structural, morphological and chemical chracterizations in conjunction with available literature. In the beginning carbon quantum dots nucleate from the sachharide. The carbonized N-containing graphene/aromatized flakes formed by carbonization of high protein soy flour and glucose curve around this carbon quantum dot nucleus to form spheroids. On the basis of high yield and preliminary results for dye adsorption,GS1 sample (w/v:: 2.15g/15 mL), was selected for the further studies. GS1 sample was tested for its adsorption efficiency of cationic (MB and CV) as well as anionic (EBT and MO) dyes. The influence of adsorbate pH and adsorbate concentration on the adsorption efficiency of the synthesized sample is studied. The maximum dye adsorbed at equilibrium is 52 mg/g and 31.5 mg/g for MB and EBT respectively. A comparison with literature shows that our samples are comparable and many a times better than the prevelant adsorbents. Adsorption isotherms and reaction kinetics (at constant temperature and adsorbent concentration) are analyzed to determine the adsorption mechanisms for anionic as well as cationic dyes. Further as a proof of concept, photocatalytic studies of dyes were carried out and it was observed that % decolorization is enhanced in the presence of UV/Visible/Sunlight indicating the capability of the samples for photocatalytic dye degradation.

Automated summary

Glucose and soy flour were hydrothermally treated to synthesize N-doped carbons, with a systematic study revealing the formation mechanism of carbon spheroids from agro waste and sachharides. The synthesized samples showed high performance in dye adsorption, suggesting potential for practical applications in removing dyes from wastewater. Moreover, the samples exhibited enhanced decolorization under UV/Visible/Sunlight, indicating their capability for photocatalytic dye degradation.