Assessment of Urtica as a low-cost adsorbent for methylene blue removal: kinetic, equilibrium, and thermodynamic studies

Methylene blue (MB) removal using eco-friendly, cost-effective, and freely available Urtica was investigated. The morphology of the adsorbent surface and the nature of the possible Urtica and MB interactions were examined using SEM analysis and the FTIR technique, respectively. Various factors affecting MB adsorption such as adsorption time, initial MB concentration, temperature, and solution pH were investigated. The adsorption process was analysed using different kinetic models and isotherms. The results showed that the MB adsorption kinetic follows a pseudo-second-order kinetic model and the isotherm data fit the Langmuir isotherm well. Thermodynamic parameters, such as ΔG°, ΔH°, and ΔS°, were also evaluated, and the results indicated that the adsorption process is endothermic and spontaneous in nature. The MB adsorption capacity of Urtica was found to be as high as 101.01 mg g−1, higher than those of many other adsorbents studied in the literature. This superior adsorption capacity, along with the ready availability of Urtica, render this adsorbent potentially suitable for practical applications.