Efficient adsorption and photocatalytic degradation of Methylene Blue Dye Using ZnO modified activated carbon derived from pistachio shells: Optimization, Isotherms and Kinetics

Efficient adsorption and photocatalytic degradation of Methylene Blue Dye Using ZnO modified activated carbon derived from pistachio shells: Optimization, Isotherms and Kinetics | Research Square window.SnipcartSettings = { analytics: { enabled: false } }; (function() { var accessVector = localStorage.getItem('access_vector') || ''; window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || []; if (accessVector) { window.dataLayer.push({ user: { profile: { profileInfo: { snid: accessVector } } } }); } })(); (function(w,d,s,l,i){w[l]=w[l]||[];w[l].push({'gtm.start':new Date().getTime(),event:'gtm.js'});var f=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0],j=d.createElement(s),dl=l!='dataLayer'?'&l='+l:'';j.async=true;j.src='https://www.googletagmanager.com/gtm.js?id='+i+dl;f.parentNode.insertBefore(j,f);})(window,document,'script','dataLayer','GTM-K279D39R'); Browse Preprints In Review Journals COVID-19 Preprints AJE Video Bytes Research Tools Research Promotion AJE Professional Editing AJE Rubriq About Preprint Platform In Review Editorial Policies Our Team Advisory Board Help Center Sign In Submit a Preprint Cite Share Download PDF Research Article Efficient adsorption and photocatalytic degradation of Methylene Blue Dye Using ZnO modified activated carbon derived from pistachio shells: Optimization, Isotherms and Kinetics Vemakoti Jaahnawwie, Jitendra Kumar Sahoo, Satish Chandra Bhuyan, and 4 more This is a preprint; it has not been peer reviewed by a journal. https://doi.org/ 10.21203/rs.3.rs-8775243/v1 This work is licensed under a CC BY 4.0 License Status: Under Revision Version 1 posted 10 You are reading this latest preprint version Abstract The present study introduces a Zinc oxide modified activated carbon derived from pistachio shells (ZnO/ACPS), a nanocomposite for the efficient elimination of methylene blue (MB) dye from aqueous media through adsorption and photocatalytic degradation. Comprehensive characterization by Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, Scanning Electron Microscopy, Energy-Dispersive X-Ray Spectroscopy, Brunauer-Emmett-Teller, and Thermogravimetric analysis confirmed the functional groups, crystalline structure, morphology, elemental composition, surface area, and thermal stability of the composite. Parameters, including “catalyst dosage, initial dye concentration, stirring speed, contact time, and pH, were systematically evaluated” to improve adsorption and photocatalytic degradation performance. At optimized conditions, the material exhibited nearly 90% efficiency in adsorption and 96% efficiency in photocatalytic degradation. Kinetic investigations revealed that adsorption occurred in a pseudo-second-order mechanism, highlighting chemisorption, whereas photocatalytic degradation indicates a single rate-limiting step driven by reactive species which obeyed a pseudo-first-order model. The adsorption isotherm confirmed Langmuir-type adsorption, suggesting a monolayer interaction, with q max of 58.82 mg/g. Thermodynamic parameters reveal that the adsorption of MB dye on ZnO/ACPS materials was spontaneous and endothermic. The hydrogen bonding, π-π interaction, and electrostatic interaction take place between ZnO/ACPS materials and Methylene Blue dye. The degradation of MB dye was studied under Ultraviolet light irradiation with a wavelength of 245 and 365 nm. Furthermore, reusability experiments demonstrated that the composite retained about 78% of its adsorption ability and 82% of its photocatalytic activity even after five consecutive cycles. Adsorption Methylene Blue dye Photocatalytic degradation Pistachio shells ZnO nanoparticles Full Text Additional Declarations No competing interests reported. Cite Share Download PDF Status: Under Revision Version 1 posted Editorial decision: Revision requested 18 May, 2026 Reviews received at journal 15 Apr, 2026 Reviewers agreed at journal 02 Apr, 2026 Reviews received at journal 01 Apr, 2026 Reviewers agreed at journal 30 Mar, 2026 Reviewers agreed at journal 21 Feb, 2026 Reviewers invited by journal 16 Feb, 2026 Editor assigned by journal 10 Feb, 2026 Submission checks completed at journal 10 Feb, 2026 First submitted to journal 03 Feb, 2026 You are reading this latest preprint version Research Square lets you share your work early, gain feedback from the community, and start making changes to your manuscript prior to peer review in a journal. As a division of Research Square Company, we’re committed to making research communication faster, fairer, and more useful. We do this by developing innovative software and high quality services for the global research community. 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Also discoverable on Platform About Our Team In Review Editorial Policies Advisory Board Help Center Resources Author Services Accessibility API Access RSS feed Manage Cookie Preferences © Research Square 2026 | ISSN 2693-5015 (online) Privacy Policy Terms of Service Do Not Sell My Personal Information {"props":{"pageProps":{"initialData":{"identity":"rs-8775243","acceptedTermsAndConditions":true,"allowDirectSubmit":false,"archivedVersions":[],"articleType":"Research Article","associatedPublications":[],"authors":[{"id":592229557,"identity":"e1a59c50-56ed-41ce-8ae7-04b74a90826e","order_by":0,"name":"Vemakoti Jaahnawwie","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"GIET University","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Vemakoti","middleName":"","lastName":"Jaahnawwie","suffix":""},{"id":592229558,"identity":"46dcbe21-b804-4450-b9ce-f44d739ff0bc","order_by":1,"name":"Jitendra Kumar 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Comprehensive characterization by Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, Scanning Electron Microscopy, Energy-Dispersive X-Ray Spectroscopy, Brunauer-Emmett-Teller, and Thermogravimetric analysis confirmed the functional groups, crystalline structure, morphology, elemental composition, surface area, and thermal stability of the composite. Parameters, including \u0026ldquo;catalyst dosage, initial dye concentration, stirring speed, contact time, and pH, were systematically evaluated\u0026rdquo; to improve adsorption and photocatalytic degradation performance. At optimized conditions, the material exhibited nearly 90% efficiency in adsorption and 96% efficiency in photocatalytic degradation. Kinetic investigations revealed that adsorption occurred in a pseudo-second-order mechanism, highlighting chemisorption, whereas photocatalytic degradation indicates a single rate-limiting step driven by reactive species which obeyed a pseudo-first-order model. 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