Dual-functional marine algal carbon-based materials with highly efficient dye removal and disinfection control

The design and simple, green preparation of dual-functional materials for the decontamination of both hazardous dyes and pathogenic microorganisms from wastewater remain challenging currently. Herein, a promising marine algal carbon-based material (named C-SA/SP) with both highly efficient dye adsorptive and antibacterial properties was fabricated based on the incorporation of sodium alginate and a low dose of silver phosphate via a facile and eco-friendly approach. The structure, removal of malachite green (MG) and congo red (CR), and their antibacterial performance were studied, and the adsorption mechanism was further interpreted by the statistical physics models, besides the classic models. The results show that the maximum simulated adsorption capacity for MG reached 2798.27 mg/g, and its minimal inhibit concentration for Escherichia coli (E. coli) and Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) was 0.4 mg/mL and 0.2 mg/mL, respectively. The mechanistic study suggests that silver phosphate exerted the effects of catalytic carbon formation and pore formation, while reducing the electronegativity of the material as well, thus improving its dye adsorptive performance. Moreover, the MG adsorption onto C-SA/SP showed vertical orientation and a multi-molecular way, and its adsorption sites were involved in the adsorption process with the increase of temperature. Overall, the study indicates that the as-made dual-functional materials have good applied prospects for water remediation. Graphical abstract: [Figure not available: see fulltext.]