Controllable synthesis and adsorption mechanism of flower-like MoS2/g-C3N4 nanocomposites for the removal of methylene blue in water

The treatment of dye-bearing wastes by adsorption using low-cost synthetic adsorbents is urgently needed and challenging because it offers the dual benefit of water treatment and waste management. Herein, the flower-like MoS 2 /g-C 3 N 4 nanocomposites with a size range of 200–400 nm and a specific surface area of 70.656 m2/g were synthesized as new methylene blue (MB) adsorbent materials. Their adsorption mechanisms and influences of pH, adsorbent dosage, concentration, and temperature on the adsorption properties were investigated by batch sorption experiments. Adsorption isotherm data were fitted with the Langmuir model, and the adsorption kinetic characteristics conform to the quasi second-order kinetic equation. According to thermodynamic data, methylene blue (MB) adsorption was endothermic and spontaneous, exhibiting a maximum adsorption capacity of 278.4 mg/g at 45 °C. Additionally, the impact of MB effluent on the germination of chickpea and wheat was studied contrastively with treatment of the tested materials. The results indicated that adequate adsorption of flower-like MoS 2 /g-C 3 N 4 nanocomposite could potentially treat wastewater from the textile industry to be used for irrigation and solve the problem of textile effluent disposal. Graphical abstract