Malays. J. Anal. Sci. Volume 29 Number 6 (2025): 1638

Research Article

Dual crosslinking of κ-carrageenan with glutaraldehyde and N’N’-methylenebisacrylamide (MBA) for high-efficiency methyl orange removal

Wan Farahiyah Wan Kamarudin ^1,2, Asmadi Ali^1*, Sofiah Hamzah¹, Nik Amirul Naim Che Zainuddin¹, and Abd Rahman Mat Amin²

¹Faculty of Ocean Engineering Technology, Universiti Malaysia Terengganu, 21030 Kuala Nerus, Terengganu, Malaysia

²Faculty of Applied Sciences, University Teknologi MARA, Cawangan Terengganu, Kampus Bukit Besi 23200, Dungun, Terengganu, Malaysia

^*Corresponding author: asmadi@umt.edu.my

Received: 7 August 2025; Revised: 15 October 2025; Accepted: 30 November 2025; Published: 29 December 2025

Abstract

The contamination of water sources by synthetic dyes such as methyl orange (MO) poses serious ecological and health hazards due to their persistence and toxicity. This study aims to develop a novel biopolymer adsorbent based on dual-crosslinked κ-carrageenan for the effective removal of MO from aqueous solutions. The adsorbent was synthesized using acrylic acid as the monomer, ammonium persulfate as the initiator, and a dual crosslinker system comprising N’N’-methylenebisacrylamide (MBA) and glutaraldehyde. Batch adsorption experiments were performed to evaluate the effects of pH, contact time, adsorbent dosage, initial dye concentration, and temperature. The material was characterized using SEM, FTIR, and EDX to assess surface morphology and functional group changes. The modified beads exhibited enhanced porosity and nitrogen incorporation, confirming successful crosslinking. Maximum MO percent removal of 95.26% was achieved at 5 ppm, pH 6–8, and 35 °C within 150 minutes. Isotherm analysis revealed excellent correlation with both Langmuir (R²=0.9999) and Freundlich (R²=1.000) models, indicating monolayer adsorption on a homogeneous surface. The Langmuir maximum adsorption capacity was 5.00 mg/g. These findings suggest that dual-crosslinked κ-carrageenan is a promising, biodegradable, and cost-effective adsorbent for environmental remediation of dye-contaminated wastewater.

Keywords: methyl orange adsorption, adsorption isotherm, biopolymer adsorbent, crosslinked κ-Carrageenan, dye removal

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