Functionalization of the aquatic weed water hyacinth <Emphasis Type="Italic">Eichhornia crassipes</Emphasis> by using zinc oxide nanoparticles for removal of organic dyes effluent

In this study, purified Eichhornia crassipes dead biomass, coated biomass with ZnO nanoparticles (NPs) and one coated with both ZnO NPs and polyethylenimine (PEI) were successfully fabricated as a bioadsorbent and biodegradent of organic dyes from the textile dye effluent. These ZnO NPs are capable of enhancing the dispersability and adsorption capacity of PEI and the anionic dyes. The surface analyses of Eichhornia crassipes, Eichhornia crassipes/ZnO NPs and Eichhornia crassipes/ZnO NPs/ PEI were characterized by SEM, specific surface area and micropore volume. The effect of three parameters including Eichhornia crassipes concentration, dye concentration and contact time on the color removal percent and degradation percent were evaluated. The results showed that the bleached Eichhornia crassipes was an efficient adsorbent for cationic dyes. Also, the effectiveness of Eichhornia crassipes/ZnO NPs was employed as photocatalytic agent for the degradation of C.I. Direct Red 23 in the presence and absence of UV irradiation. Moreover, Eichhornia crassipes/ZnO NPs/PEI shows a high adsorption capacity toward the anionic dyes C.I. Acid Red 40 and C.I. Reactive Orange 91. It was found that, Eichhornia crassipes/ZnO NPs was completely degraded C.I. Direct Red 23 by >90 % within 90 min of UV irradiation time, whereas in the absence of UV irradiation it required a substantially longer time (120 min) to achieve a similar degradation percent. In addition, Eichhornia crassipes/ZnO NPs/PEI was most effective and show the maximum adsorption capacity for C.I. Reactive Orange 91 and C.I. Acid Red 40 and its efficiency for the color removal percent was 100 % for C.I. Reactive Orange 91 and 95 % for C.I. Acid Red 40 in less than 60 min processing time.