Well-designed WO3/Activated carbon composite for Rhodamine B Removal: Synthesis, characterization, and modeling using response surface methodology

This study focuses on the preparation of WO3 oxide nanoparticle/Activated carbon composite (WO3/AC) for Rhodamine B (RhB) adsorption. The prepared samples were characterized using X-Ray Energy Dispersive Spectroscopy (EDS) and Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), Brunauer–Emmett–Teller surface area (BET), Raman Spectroscopy and Thermogravimetric analyses (ATG-ATD). Adsorption experiments of RhB onto WO3/AC were carried out in a batch reactor and different operational parameters were investigated. The RhB adsorption process was well fitted by pseudo-second-order kinetic and Langmuir isotherm models (1666.67mg.g−1). Moreover, the values of thermodynamic parameters indicate the spontaneous, endothermic and physisorption adsorption nature. Finally, adsorption mechanism was proposed on the basis Raman analyses before and after adsorption.