Cu0.5Mn0.5Fe2O4 nano spinels as potential sorbent for adsorption of brilliant green

• Metal oxides in form of ferrite spinle of CuxMn1−xFe2O4 were used for adsorption of BG.
• Nano particles of Cu0.5Mn0.5Fe2O4 had respectable efficiency for adsorption of brilliant green (BG) dye from aqueous solution.
• Adsorption of BG onto nano particles was favored at low pH and pseudo-second-order.
• Adsorption of BG onto nano particles was spontaneous and exothermic in nature.
• Consumed ferrite spinles also are reusable and they could be recovered by very simple chemical and physical methods.

Nano spinels of CuxMn1−xFe2O4 (x = 0.0, 0.2, 0.4, 0.5, 0.8 and 1) have been synthesized. Nano-particles of CuxMn1−xFe2O4 were characterized by FTIR, XRD and SEM. The adsorption of brilliant green (BG) by nano particles of CuxMn1−xFe2O4 was studied. Results showed that adsorption activity of nano particles are as followed: MnFe2O4 < CuFe2O4 < Mn0.2Cu0.8Fe2O4 < Mn0.8Cu0.2Fe2O4 < Mn0.4Cu0.6Fe2O4 < Mn0.5Cu0.5Fe2O4. The adsorption of BG followed pseudo-second-order kinetic model. Thermodynamic results revealed that the adsorption of BG onto Mn0.5Cu0.5Fe2O4 particles is endothermic and spontaneously process. The adsorption equilibrium was best described by the Langmuir model. The nano particles of Mn0.5Cu0.5Fe2O4 can be conveniently regenerated by chemical and physical methods after adsorption.