Efficient Removal of Congo Red, Methylene Blue and Pb(II) by Hydrochar–MgAlLDH Nanocomposite: Synthesis, Performance and Mechanism

Organic dyes and heavy metals often coexist in industrial effluents, and their simultaneous removal is a grand challenge. Herein, a hydrochar and MgAl layered double hydroxide (HC–MgAlLDH) nanocomposite was prepared via a facile one-step hydrothermal route, and applied to remove anionic Congo red (CR), cationic Methylene blue (MB) and Pb(II) from aqueous solutions. The nanocomposite was formed by interweaving amorphous HC and crystalline MgAlLDH nanoplates and possessed more functional groups, lower zeta potential and larger specific surface area than uncomposited MgAlLDH. Batch removal experiments showed that the components HC and LDH dominated the CR and MB removals, respectively, whereas Pb(II) removal was conjointly controlled by the two components. The maximum Langmuir removal capacities of the nanocomposite to sole CR, MB, or Pb(II) were 348.78, 256.54 or 33.55 mg/g. In binary and ternary systems, the removal capacities of CR and MB only slightly decreased, while the capacity of Pb(II) increased by 41.13–88.61%. The increase was related to the coordination of Pb(II) with the sulfur-containing groups in dyes and the precipitation of PbSO4. Therefore, the simultaneous removal of CR, MB and Pb(II) was involved in a synergistic effect, including electrostatic adsorption, π–π interaction, coordination and precipitation. The present work shows that the HC–MgAlLDH nanocomposite has great potential for wastewater integrative treatment.