Bi2Co3O7@g-C3N4 nanocomposite for Cd (II) elimination: Adsorption equilibrium, kinetics and mechanistic approaches

Here, we suggest a fabrication-simple adsorbent, Bi2Co3O7@g-C3N4, to remove the hazardous heavy metals such as Cd (II). Crystallinity (XRD), surface area (BET), surface morphology and elemental compositions (SEM-EDX), and functional groups (FTIR) were used to characterize the Bi2Co3O7@g-C3N4 adsorbent. As a case study, the Cd (II) removal procedure was illustrated using different quantities of aqueous solutions. Batch sorption tests were conducted to assess (i) adsorption at various pH values, (ii) equilibrium isotherms to determine the effect on sorption efficiency, and (iii) kinetics to determine the effect of time and initial concentration on the reaction rate. Cd (II) sorption to Bi2Co3O7@g-C3N4 nanocomposite fits both the Langmuir isotherms, with a maximum absorption of 216.24 mg/g and the kinetics investigation revealed a pseudo-second-order model room temperature, indicating that adsorption was predominantly chemisorption. Even after five cycles of regenerating, 87 % of Cd (II) was removed utilizing desorption experiments under the suggested circumstances, resulting in an adsorbent generation.