Preparation of Functionalized Hydroxyapatite with Biopolymers as Efficient Adsorbents of Methylene Blue

In this study, we reported the synthesis of hydroxyapatite modified with biopolymers as λ-carrageenan and sodium alginate, which could be used as effective adsorbents of cationic dyes. Evidence of chemical modification was proved through chemical analysis, Fourier Trans-form Infrared spectroscopy, powder X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, and specific surface area. The adsorption process was studied using methylene blue as representative cationic dye. The adsorbed quantity reached, at equilibrium, 142.85 mg/g and 98.23 mg/g using hydroxyapatite-sodium alginate and hydroxyapatite-(λ-carrageenan), respectively. However, it does not exceed 58.8 mg/g in the case of the unmodified hydroxyapatite. The adsorption of methylene blue using hybrid materials complied well with the pseudo-second-order suggesting a chemi-sorption. Freundlich and Langmuir isotherm described well the adsorption mechanism of the hydroxyapatite-(λ-carrageenan) and hydroxyapatite-sodium alginate, respectively. The high capacities of MB removal obtained in this study suggest the potential use of these materials in the treatment from wastewaters.