Enhanced adsorption performance of CuO-Al sub(2)O sub(3) composite derived from cotton template

Biomorphic CuO-Al sub(2)O sub(3) nanomaterials were fabricated via a facile and low-cost complex-precipitation route using cotton as a template. The as-obtained materials were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared spectra (FTIR), field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), N sub(2) adsorption-desorption analysis, and thermogravimetry differential thermal analysis (TG-DTA). It was found that the as-prepared biomorphic CuO-Al sub(2)O sub(3) retained the tubular morphology of cotton and a diameter of about 4-5 mu m. The maximum adsorption capacity for methyl blue (MB) was achieved at 97.04mg/g which is higher than that of many other previously reported adsorbents, and that of as-prepared CuO-Al sub(2)O sub(3) without a cotton template. Furthermore, the isotherms and kinetics of the adsorption process for MB were determined and analyzed in detail, and were found to obey the Freundlich isotherm model and pseudo-second-order kinetics. The as-prepared biomorphic CuO-Al sub(2)O sub(3) sample using this facile synthetic approach is very promising for the removal of organic contaminants from wastewater.