Lignocellulosic fraction of the pericarps of the acorns of Quercus suber and Quercus ilex: isolation, characterization, and biosorption studies in the removal of copper from aqueous solutions

Pericarps of Algerian ( ) and ( ) were used as copper adsorbents in artificially contaminated solutions. Exposing accessible lignocellulosic binding sites enhanced adsorption. The lignocellulosic fractions of and (36.47±9.1 and 47.66±9.3, respectively) were characterized by FTIR before and after adsorption. The aim was to identify the functional groups adsorbing Cu(II). SEM/EDX determined lignocellulose surface morphology and composition. The amount of adsorbent-bound Cu(II) increased with initial [Cu(II)]. Cu(II) adsorption range was 23.59–48.06 mg.g for and 22.56–38.19 mg.g for when [Cu(II)] was 100–500 mg.L . Adsorption isotherms and Langmuir and Freundlich models of the and lignocellulosic fractions indicated natural Cu(II)adsorption capacities (Q ) of 53.76 mg.g and 36.06 mg.g and KF of 5.9 mg.g and 7.43 mg.g , respectively.