Enhanced adsorption performance of CuO-Al2O3 composite derived from cotton template

Biomorphic CuO‐Al2O3 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), N2 adsorption‐desorption analysis, and thermogravimetry differential thermal analysis (TG‐DTA). It was found that the as‐prepared biomorphic CuO‐Al2O3 retained the tubular morphology of cotton and a diameter of about 4–5 µm. The maximum adsorption capacity for methyl blue (MB) was achieved at 97.04 mg/g which is higher than that of many other previously reported adsorbents, and that of as‐prepared CuO‐Al2O3 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‐Al2O3 sample using this facile synthetic approach is very promising for the removal of organic contaminants from wastewater.