Isotherms and thermodynamics of malachite green on CO2-activated carbon fibers
Abstract Carbonaceous adsorbents have received substantial attention in the past decades because of their porous surface characteristics. However, the majority use of strong acids for the surface modification and the subsequent surface decrease remains challenging. Here, we designed porous carbon fibers with the aid of CO2 during activation for effective malachite green (MG) adsorption. The physiochemical mechanisms have been characterized both experimentally and numerically to decipher the underlying relevance of CO2-activation on the MG adsorption capacity. The obtained samples are dominated by micropores, resulting in a high specific surface up to 1012 m2 g-1 via 60 min of CO2-activation. The adsorption isotherm was fitted to Langmuir with the maximum adsorption capacity of 555.56 mg L-1. Thermodynamics revealed endothermic in nature and the spontaneous adsorption process. By using the primary culprit of global warming, this work advances the design of carbonaceous adsorbents for cationic dye removal. (144/150)