One pot synthesis of polymer–clay based composite for effective dye removal application

Schematic representation of the synthesized PBC composite. [Display omitted] •Development of a polymer-based PBC composite for dye removal.•Efficient removal of 100 ppm methylene blue dye within 20 min.•PBC composite achieves 98.7% dye removal efficiency.•Maintains over 80% dye removal efficiency after 10 cycles. This article presents the synthesis of a one-pot carbon-based polymeric composite supported by mineral clay (PBC) for dye removal applications. Sucrose carbonization was conducted in an acidic environment, facilitating pyrrole polymerization by incorporating sodium bentonite. Various factors affecting dye removal, such as pH, temperature, dosage, and contact duration, were investigated using the PBC composite. Results revealed that the PBC composite achieved 98 % adsorption of methylene blue (100 ppm) within 20 min at room temperature with a dosage of 30 mg. The PBC composite exhibited significantly higher dye adsorption than control samples including activated carbon (AC), polypyrrole (PPy), and bentonite. Moreover, the PBC composite maintained over 80 % efficiency in dye removal after 10 cycles, with kinetic studies indicating second-order kinetics. This study primarily focuses on the straightforward one-pot synthesis of the PBC composite for cost-effective mass production, suitable for various applications, including the degradation of organic pollutants.