Silver nanoparticles modified titanium carbide MXene composite for RSM-CCD optimised chloride removal from water

[Display omitted] •Ag/Ti3C2Tx MXene was synthesised via dry impregnation and sonochemistry method.•Nanocomposite performance in chloride removal was optimised using RSM-CCD method.•Formulated composite could remove chloride ions up to 92% at optimal conditions.•Nanocomposite showed promising reusability/stability to supply chloride-free water. Unsafe levels of chloride in drinking water can make it unpalatable, susceptible to infrastructure corrosion and prone to heavy metals mobility. Conventional chloride mitigation strategies are subjected to inefficient performance and costly operation, necessitating innovations for more sustainable, affordable, and scalable technologies. In this study, silver nanoparticles-modified Ti3C2 MXene nanocomposite (AgMX) is synthesised via dry impregnation method for effective removal of chloride ion from water. The composite physicochemical properties were thoroughly characterised using various analytical techniques, including TEM, SEM, XRD, EDS, BET, zeta potential and pHpzc analysis. The experimental testing was optimised using CCD-RSM method in terms of adsorbent dosage (0.2–2 g/L), reaction time (1–17 min), and chloride concentration (10–90 mg/L). Under optimal conditions (adsorbent:1.55 g/L, time: 12.19 min, & concentration: 52.17 mg/L), a promising chloride removal of 91.8 % was achieved. Langmuir model showed the best fit to adsorption isotherm (R2: 0.9852) comparing to Freundlich and Dubinin-Kaganer-Radushkevich (DKR) isotherms, while pseudo-second-order kinetic model offered the closest data to the experimental results (R2: 9893) compared to the pseudo-first-order, Elovich and Intraparticle diffusion models R2: 0.2335,0.1212 and 0.2050, respectively. The composite reusability and regeneration potential after four repeated cycles were found practically efficient as ≥ 68 % and ≥ 84 %, respectively. The outcomes of this study can demonstrate the efficiency of the formulated composite as a promising material for the sustainable treatment of chloride-contaminated water.