Composite materials hold significant potential in the field of nanoscience for environmental remediation and sustainability applications. This study investigates the comparative efficiency of nanosized silver (Ag), nickel ferrite (NiFe₂O₄), and their novel nanocomposite, silver nickel ferrite (AgNiFe₂O₄), synthesized using the water-in-oil microemulsions method for removing EBT from aqueous solutions. The synthesized materials were characterized by XRD, FTIR, FESEM, and EDS to understand their morphology and structural properties. Compared with pure NiFe₂O₄ and Ag NPs, the AgNiFe₂O₄ composite exhibited enhanced crystallinity, reduced agglomeration, and a higher density of active surface sites. Batch adsorption studies demonstrated that the composite achieved the highest removal efficiency under optimized conditions. The maximum adsorption capacity (q max ) obtained by AgNiFe₂O₄ was 558.66 mg/g, higher than NiFe₂O₄ (198.81 mg/g) and Ag NPs (421.40 mg/g), attributed to the synergistic effects of silver's high surface area coupled with nickel ferrite's magnetic properties. The adsorption kinetics followed a pseudo-second-order model (R 2 = 0.99), while equilibrium data were best described by the Langmuir isotherm, confirming the chemisorption and monolayer adsorption. Associated mechanisms include hydrogen bonding, electrostatic attraction, π-π interactions, and surface complexation. The findings highlight the potential of AgNiFe₂O₄ as an efficient adsorbent for dye-contaminated wastewater and environmental remediation.
Khan et al. (Thu,) studied this question.