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Full Orginal Article

Vol. 13 No. 2 (2025)

Synergetic Effect of Ni-CuO Nanocomposites with Activated Carbon Synthesized from Zeamays Bark for the Removal of Methylene Blue Dye

Submitted
September 7, 2025
Published
August 31, 2025

Abstract

In this study, nanomaterial adsorbents including CuO, Ni-CuO, Ni-CuO/activated carbon (AC),
and Ni-CuO/zeamays bark (ZB) were synthesized and evaluated for the removal of methylene
blue (MB) dye from wastewater discharged by Anmol Paper Production PLC. Structural and
surface characterizations were performed using X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier-transform
infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and UV-visible
spectroscopy (UV-Vis). XRD analysis confirmed the formation of a monoclinic CuO phase, with
a reduction in crystal size from 34.26 nm (CuO) to 18.06 nm (Ni-CuO/ZB). SEM revealed a
porous, hair-like morphology in Ni-CuO nanocomposites. FTIR spectra indicated the presence
of OH and CO functional groups, enhancing adsorption potential. UV-Vis analysis showed a
bandgap reduction from 3.22 eV (CuO) to 2.10 eV (Ni-CuO/AC) and 1.75 eV (Ni-CuO/ZB),
suggesting improved visible light absorption. Batch adsorption experiments showed that Ni
CuO/ZB achieved the highest MB removal efficiency of 99.03% under optimized conditions: 110
ppm dye concentration, pH 12, 1.0 g adsorbent dosage, and 120 minutes contact time. The
adsorption process conformed to the Freundlich isotherm model and pseudo-second-order
kinetics (R² = 0.99), indicating multilayer adsorption and a chemisorption mechanism. Overall,
the Ni-CuO/ZB nanocomposite demonstrated superior performance, making it a cost-effective
and sustainable candidate for industrial wastewater treatment.

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