Removal of Cationic and Anionic Dyes from Aqueous Solution with Activated Biocarbons Obtained from Black Chokeberry Seeds
Marciniak P. Groszek M. Wiśniewska M. Idrisheva Z. Toktaganov T. Nowicki P.
February 2026Multidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute (MDPI)
Materials
2026#19Issue 4
The main objective of the work was to prepare a series of new activated biocarbons by chemical activation of black chokeberry seed and to assess their suitability for removing cationic and anionic dyes from an aqueous medium. Activation of the precursor was performed at 550 °C with orthophosphoric acid, using conventional or microwave-assisted heating. The activated biocarbons were characterized in terms of elemental composition, textural parameters, surface morphology, acid-base character of the surface, as well as electrokinetic properties. Adsorption tests were carried out against two organic compounds: methylene blue (thiazine dye of cationic character) and Congo red (azo dye of anionic character). The influence of the initial dye concentration (5–120 mg/L), temperature (20–40 °C), and solution pH (2–10) on dye removal efficiency from the liquid phase was investigated. Additionally, kinetic adsorption tests were carried out to determine the rate and mechanism of the dyes removal process. Microwave-assisted chemical activation with H3PO4 proved to be a very effective approach for generating a high specific surface area (884 m2/g) and a micro/mesoporous structure, which directly increases the adsorption capacity of activated biocarbons towards cationic and anionic synthetic dyes. The maximum adsorption capacities for methylene blue and Congo red were 194.5 and 68.6 mg/g, respectively. It was also confirmed that the choice of heating method at the activation stage plays a key role in determining the physicochemical properties and adsorption performance of the activated biocarbons prepared from waste biomass. In general, carbonaceous adsorbents derived from black chokeberry seeds exhibit high potential for the treatment of dye-contaminated wastewater.
activated biocarbons , black chokeberry seeds , chemical activation , conventional/microwave heating , ionic dyes removal , waste biomass management , wastewater treatment
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Department of Applied Chemistry, Faculty of Chemistry, Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznań, Uniwersytetu Poznańskiego 8, Poznań, 61-614, Poland
Department of Radiochemistry and Environmental Chemistry, Institute of Chemical Sciences, Faculty of Chemistry, Maria Curie-Skłodowska University in Lublin, M. Curie-Skłodowska Sq. 3, Lublin, 20-031, Poland
School of Geosciences, D. Serikbayev East, Kazakhstan Technical University, 19, Serikbayev Str., Ust-Kamenogorsk, 070000, Kazakhstan
Department of Applied Chemistry
Department of Radiochemistry and Environmental Chemistry
School of Geosciences
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