GO/CuZrO3/PHA/kaolinite tetrad composite for wastewater remediation via adsorptive removal of brilliant green dye and antimicrobial investigation

Adsorption is a well-known remediation technique that successfully and economically eliminates contaminants from water. In this study, hydrothermally synthesized GO/CuZrO 3 /PHA/KC composite (Graphene oxide – GO, Kaolinite clay – KC) was employed for the treatment of brilliant green (BG) dye. The FT-IR, PXRD, BET, FESEM, HRTEM, and Raman spectroscopy were employed for characterization of the materials. The GO and GO/CuZrO 3 /PHA/KC composite have shown BET surface areas of 6.404 m 2 /g and 73.482 m 2 /g, respectively. Batch adsorption experiment revealed the ideal parameters as 180 min of time, 1.0 g/L of composite amount, 80 mg/L of initial dye amount, and a solution pH of 11, exhibiting the maximum removal of 99.41 ± 0.05%. The maximum adsorption capacity (MAC) of 357.14 mg/g was achieved from Langmuir linear fitting. Adsorption isotherm models, kinetics, and thermodynamics studies were evaluated. The finding reveals that the adsorption is best fitted by Langmuir isotherm and Pseudo second order kinetics. Thermodynamics study illustrates that the system is spontaneous and endothermic in nature. GO/CuZrO 3 /PHA/KC has shown the reusability up to the third adsorption-desorption cycle. Antimicrobial activity of the composite against Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus , gram-negative and gram-positive bacteria was evaluated via agar disc diffusion method, exhibiting the maximum ZOI of 28 mm and 29 mm, respectively. • GO/CuZrO 3 /PHA/Kaolinite tetrad composite was synthesized through hydrothermal approach. • It is effective for adsorption of brilliant green dye and antibacterial treatment of E. coli and S. aureus . • Maximum adsorption capacity (q max ) of 357.14 mg/g for BG was estimated via Langmuir isotherm. • Plausible mechanism, antibacterial inhibition, and adsorption-desorption cycle studies are accounted.