Ridho, Moh Zeinur, et al. Case Studies in Chemical and Environmental Engineering 11 (2025): 101140.
Disodium cocoyl glutamate (DCG), a naturally derived anionic surfactant, has been employed to functionalize activated carbon (CA) derived from cigarette butt waste, enhancing its adsorption capacity toward lead(II) ions (Pb²⁺) in aqueous solutions. The study aimed to investigate how DCG modification influences the surface chemistry and adsorption performance of CA.
Preparation of CA-DCG was performed as follows: Cigarette filters were separated from the paper, sequentially washed with distilled water and 96 % ethanol, treated with 2 % nitric acid and 20 % acetic acid, rinsed, and air-dried. The filters underwent flash carbonization at 500 °C for 15 min, followed by chemical activation in 65 % KOH solution for 4 h. The activated carbon was filtered, washed to neutral pH, dried at 100 °C, and sieved to 50 mesh. CA (1 g) was then mixed with 25 mL of DCG solution at varied concentrations (0.1, 1, 10 % v/v) under magnetic stirring for 5 h, filtered, washed, and dried at 60 °C for 24 h to yield CA-DCG.
Characterization revealed that CA-DCG retained aromatic rings functionalized with hydroxyl and carbonyl groups, while DCG incorporation increased carbonyl content and amorphous character. Adsorption tests demonstrated that DCG dramatically enhanced Pb²⁺ removal efficiency, increasing equilibrium adsorption from 25 % (unmodified CA) to 99 %, with CA-DCG 0.1 % exhibiting the highest adsorption capacity (9.89 mg/g). The enhanced performance is attributed to the anionic nature of DCG, which promotes electrostatic interactions with Pb²⁺ ions. This work highlights DCG as an effective functionalizing agent for transforming waste-derived CA into a high-performance, environmentally friendly adsorbent for heavy metal remediation.
Reza, Muhammad, et al. Next Materials 9 (2025): 101061.