Facile synthesis of TiO2@ZnO nanoparticles for enhanced removal of methyl orange and indigo carmine dyes: Adsorption, kinetics

Water pollution represents one of the most important problems affecting the health of living organisms, so it was necessary to work on the formation of active materials to get rid of pollutants. In this study, Titanium dioxide (TiO2) doping Zinc oxide (ZnO) nanocomposites were produced via simple sonication method at 500 Hz in ethanol medium. At different weight concentrations (2.5, 5, 7.5, and 10 %). The morphology, structure configuration, chemical bonding, crystalline phase, and surface properties of obtained nanocomposites were characterized via FESEM, BET, XRD, XPS, RAMAN and FTIR instrumentation. The nanocomposites were employed as an adsorbent to eliminate the methyl orange (MO) and Indigo Carmine (IC) dyes from an aqueous solution. Batch removal experiments revealed that the elimination of MO and IC dyes by the TiZnO surface was pH and doping Ti concentration-dependent, with maximum removal occurring at pH = 7 for MO and pH = 3 for IC contaminants at 10 % doping Ti concentration (Ti (10 %)@ZnO). Langmuir model fit the absorptive removal of MO and IC dyes into the Ti (10 %)@ZnO surface well. The maximal removal capacity of Ti (10 %)@ZnO nanocomposite was found to be 994.24 mg. g−1 for MO and 305.39 mg. g−1 for IC. The Ti (10 %)@ZnO nanocomposite showed remarkable high stability towards the removal of both dyes through consecutive four cycles. •TiO2 doping ZnO nanocomposites were produced via simple sonication method.•Maximum removal occurring at pH = 7 for MO and pH = 3 for IC dyes at 10 % doping Ti concentration.•Langmuir model fit the absorptive removal of MO and IC dyes into the TiZnO4 surface well.•The maximal removal capacity of TiZnO4 was found to be 994.24 mg. g−1 for MO and 305.39 mg. g−1 for IC.