Characterization and evaluation of Moringa Oleifera Leaves Green Powder and its alkali-activated form as eco-friendly biosorbent for the effective removal of safranin dye from synthetic wastewater

This research investigates the potential of both Moringa Oleifera Leaves Green Powder (MOLGP) and its Base Activation Moringa Oleifera Leaves Green Powder (BAMOLGP) as a low-cost and efficient biosorbent for removing dye, metals, and bacteria from water. Specifically, safranin dye's adsorption capacity on MOLGP and BAMOLGP was examined, and MOLGP underwent base activation with sonication to enhance its adsorption capacity as a nanoparticle. The biosorbent surface characteristics were analyzed using FTIR, SEM, BET, and EDX techniques. XRD analysis confirmed the formation of a semi-crystalline form, and changes in surface morphology and elemental composition were observed after NaOH treatment. The maximum removal efficiency of safranin was 56.17% under the given conditions, but it significantly improved to 98.96% after undergoing treatments. The adsorption process was exothermic, and there was a decrease in system entropy during treatment. The results showed that safranin adsorption onto MOLGP was favorable enthalpy change and the entropy change was unfavorable at all temperatures, but adsorption onto BAMOLGP was favorable at all temperatures. Eleven statistical functions were employed to estimate the error deviations between experimental and theoretically predicted kinetic adsorption values and isothermals. The data indicated that the first order and second order equations best matched MOLOPG and BAMOLOPG, while Freundlich is the best match for isothermal BAMOLOPG. Graphical Abstract