Tailoring mesoporous ferrocene-modified activated carbon derived for phenol removal in wastewater

This present study investigates the adsorption capacity of synthesized activated carbon/ferrocene composite (AC-H3PO4/Fe7S8) for phenol removal in wastewater. The structural, porosity, and morphology of the synthesized activated carbon/ferrocene composite were determined using FTIR, BET, XRD, and SEM. Parameters varied at different concentrations during the adsorption process include adsorbent dosage, contact time and pH. The AC-H3PO4/Fe7S8 composite achieved 98% removal efficiency of phenol at optimal operational conditions of adsorbent dosage of 0.3g, contact time of 120 min, pH of 4, and concentration of (10-50 mg/L). Batch adsorptions were conducted to study the adsorption isotherm and kinetics. The Freundlich isotherm offered the most suitable representation of the adsorption data, with R² values of 0.99650 and 0.9955 for AC-H3PO4 and AC-H3PO4/Fe7S8 respectively. Furthermore, the adsorption kinetics conformed to a pseudo-second-order model for both adsorbents. The findings suggest that the synthesized AC-H3PO4/Fe7S8 composite represents a promising adsorbent for phenol removal in wastewater treatment.