Hybrid Ionic Liquid-assisted Biomagnetic Nanocomposite for Efficient Removal of a Cationic Dye

The presence of organic toxic dyes in the aqueous environment poses a potential threat to the ecosystems. Ionic liquids (ILs), typically considered green solvents, confer diverse benefits and versatility in applications. Magnetite biochar composites and ILs can be combined to form novel hybrid nanocomposites, providing collaborative advantages, preserving features of individual components, and attaining innovative performances. This study aims to fabricate an IL-assisted biomagnetic hybrid nanocomposite material, analyse its physiochemical characteristics, and evaluate its efficiency in the adsorptive removal of toxic rhodamine blue (RhB) dye in aqueous solution. The mean diameter of the IL-assisted biomagnetic nanocomposite material was found to be 45±6 nm. The removal efficiency was optimised using various parameters such as pH, contact time, as well as adsorbent and adsorbate concentrations. The bionanocomposite demonstrated 97.5% of RhB removal percentage and 135 mg/g of adsorption capacity within 45 min and showed remarkable reusability of up to five cycles. The hybrid IL-assisted biomagnetic nanocomposite prepared in this work offers a viable and sustainable approach to removing industrial synthetic dyes in contaminated aquatic ecosystems.