Facile synthesis of MCM-41/MgO for highly efficient adsorption of organic dye

Recently, MgO has been demonstrated to be a promising adsorption material for dye removal from wastewater due to its unique characteristics. However, the low surface area and recyclability have seriously limited its practical application in water treatment. Herein, MgO was introduced to mesoporous MCM-41 to improve its surface properties. A series of MCM-41/MgO nanocomposites with high surface areas ((similar to)1000 m(2)/g) and mesostructures were synthesized by a facile in situ method. Compared with pure MgO and MCM-41, the mesoporous MCM-41/MgO exhibited enhanced adsorption capacity and superior recycling stability for fast removal of an organic dye from water. The maximum adsorption capacity for crystal violet (CV) can reach 1861.38 mg/g, which is several times higher than that of MgO itself and of most other adsorbents. Even after five consecutive cycles, the removal efficiency is still up to 90%. It is expected that the mesoporous MCM-41/MgO materials will have a considerable potential in wastewater treatment.