Pomegranate peels collected from fresh juice shop as a renewable precursor for high surface area activated carbon with potential application for methylene blue adsorption

Pomegranate ( Punica Granatum ) peels were utilized as precursors to prepare mesoporous activated carbon (PPAC) via H 3 PO 4 -activation method. The surface characterization of PPAC was achieved using Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR), Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), N 2 adsorption/desorption, X-Ray Diffraction (XRD), and the point of zero charge (pH PZC ) method. It was found that PPAC a large surface area and total pore volume corresponded to 1280.45 m 2 /g and 1.343 cm 3 /g, respectively. The adsorption properties of PPAC with methylene blue (MB) was conducted at different adsorbent dose (0.2–3 g/L), solution pH (3–11), initial dye concentrations (50 mg/L–400 mg/L), contact time (0–135 min) using batch mode operation. The kinetic uptake profiles are well described by the pseudo-second-order model, while the Langmuir model describes the adsorption behaviour at equilibrium. The maximum adsorption capacity of PPAC with methylene blue was 384.61 mg/g at 303 K. Various thermodynamic parameters such as standard enthalpy (DH°), standard entropy (DS°) and standard free energy (DG°) showed that the adsorption of MB onto PPAC was favourable and endothermic in nature.