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Superparamagnetic Multiphase Magnetic Activated Carbon Derived from Sugar for Rapid Methylene Blue Removal

Arie Hardian, Dani Gustaman Syarif, Rahmawati Rahmawati, Hakimul Wafda

Abstract


The development of cost-effective and easily recoverable adsorbents poses a significant challenge in wastewater treatment. This study introduces a superparamagnetic multiphase magnetic activated carbon (SM-MAC) nanocomposite, which was synthesized using a simple low-oxygen thermal method with sugar and FeCl₂•4H₂O as precursors. The carbonization was performed at 250°C for two hours, followed by activation through immersion in a sodium hydroxide solution for 48 hours, and subsequent heating at 800°C for 60 minutes in a low-oxygen atmosphere. The surface area was determined using the BET method. The crystal structure and phases were analyzed via XRD. The magnetic properties were assessed using VSM, while the functional groups of the sample were identified through FTIR. The resulting material exhibits a substantial specific surface area of 643 m²/g, characterized by a mesoporous structure of approximately 2.7 nm, and contains various iron phases such as Fe₃O₄, Fe₂O₃, Fe₃C, and Fe, which enhance its magnetic and adsorption properties. Magnetic evaluations confirmed superparamagnetic behavior, with a saturation magnetization of 30.9 emu/g, allowing for rapid magnetic separation. The SM-MAC nanocomposite demonstrated exceptional adsorption performance for methylene blue (MB), achieving a maximum capacity between 81 and 100 mg/g and exhibiting rapid adsorption kinetics, reaching equilibrium within 15 minutes, consistent with the Langmuir isotherm models and pseudo-second-order kinetics. The SM-MAC produced shows great potential for the removal of MB.

Keywords



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DOI: 10.14416/j.asep.2026.09.004

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