Application of Mangifera indica (mango) seeds as a biosorbent for removal of Victazol Orange 3R dye from aqueous solution and study of the biosorption mechanism

Mango seed, an abundant residue of the food industry, was used in its natural form (MS) and protonated form (AMS) as a biosorbent for the removal of Victazol Orange 3R (VO-3R) dye from its aqueous solutions. These biosorbents were characterized by infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and by nitrogen adsorption/desorption curves. Optimization of the effects of the initial pH of the dye solution, biosorbent dosage and contact time between the dye and the biosorbents on the biosorption capacities of the biosorbents was studied. Based on an error function (Ferror), the general order kinetic model provided the best fit to the experimental data when compared to the pseudo-first order and pseudo-second order kinetic biosorption models. The equilibrium data were fitted to Langmuir, Freundlich and Liu isotherm models. For both biosorbents, the equilibrium data were best fitted to the Liu isotherm model. Finally, the mechanism of biosorption involving VO-3R and lignin–cellulose was evaluated using the hybrid quantum mechanical/molecular mechanical (QM/MM) approach and molecular dynamic (MD) simulations. The results suggest that water molecules play a key role in the biosorption process.

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► Mango seed used in its natural and protonated form as biosorbents.
► Characterization of biosorbents by FTIR, SEM, BET and BJH techniques.
► A new general order kinetic equation developed to fit the experimental results.
► Mechanism of adsorption evaluated using computational simulation.
► Water plays important role in the interaction between dye and biosorbent.