Preparation of a nano bio-composite based on cellulosic biomass and conducting polymeric nanoparticles for ibuprofen removal: Kinetics, isotherms, and energy site distribution

The severe effects of pharmaceutical and personal care products (PPCPs) could not be ignored and they must be eliminated prior to their release to the environment. In this study, cellulosic sisal fibre was modified simultaneously by polypyrrole-polyaniline nanoparticles and it was employed as a cost-effective, non-toxic nano bio-composite for the elimination of ibuprofen. It was characterized by SEM, EDAX, FTIR, and XRD. Parameters were tested in the form of the one-factor-at-a-time method. These parameters were contact time, pH, initial ibuprofen concentration, adsorbent dosage, agitation speed, and temperature and the optimized conditions obtained were 60 min, 5, 30 mg/L, 150 mg, 200 rpm, and 313 K, respectively and ibuprofen removal efficiency reached 88%. Furthermore, Kinetics data were fitted on the Pseudo-second model (R² 0.9991), indicating a chemisorption process. The Isothermal study demonstrated that Sips assumptions had the greatest R² value in the examined temperatures (R² 0.9985 at 298 K). Energy site distribution revealed that at the higher temperature more binding sites were activated on the modified cellulosic Sisal, resulted in greater adsorption capacity, with the highest capacity of 19.45 mg/g (based on the Langmuir model) at 313 K. Modified cellulosic Sisal can be concluded to be a cost-effective, prominent, and efficient adsorbent for ibuprofen removal.