Modified xanthan gum for methyl orange uptake: Kinetic, isotherm, and thermodynamic behaviors

A novel hydrogel, named XGTTE, was prepared by modification of acrylamide and trimethylolpropane triglycidyl ether (TTE) on xanthan gum (XG). XGTTE was utilized as an adsorbent to remove methyl orange (MO) from an aqueous solution. Functional groups present in the external surface of XGTTE, such as carboxyl, hydroxyl, and amino groups, were identified, and these functional groups are responsible for the occurrence of the mechanism for MO adsorption. The structure of XGTTE after MO adsorption became more disordered. The adsorption dynamics and isotherms of MO onto XGTTE conformed well to the pseudo-second-order kinetics and the Freundlich equation, indicated that the adsorption included physical and chemical adsorption, with electrostatic interaction and hydrogen-bonding interaction. The calculated values of the thermodynamic parameters, such as changes in enthalpy (ΔH) and entropy (ΔS) were 27.30 kJ/mol and 125.63 J/mol/K, respectively. The changes in free energy (ΔG) were − 9.53 kJ/mol (293.15 K), −10.16 kJ/mol (298.15 K), −10.78 kJ/mol (303.15 K), −11.41 kJ/mol (308.15 K), and − 12.04 kJ/mol (313.15 K), respectively, indicating the adsorption process is endothermic, spontaneous, and entropic. The maximum adsorption capacities of XGTTE2, XGTTE3, XGTTE4, XGTTE5, and XGTTE6 for MO were 18.62 ± 0.99, 21.92 ± 0.84, 28.60 ± 0.84, 29.56 ± 0.99, and 12.38 ± 0.84 mg/g, respectively.