Utilizing a Cost-Effective Adsorbent Material Derived from Coconut Coir Fiber Modified with Hydrazone Compounds for Efficient Removal of Copper from Aqueous Environments

A hydrazone compounds derived from the condensation of 2,4-dinitrophenyl hydrazine with acetophenone, acetaldehyde, and benzophenone, were synthesized and their selectivity towards transition metal ions were investigated. The ligands were isolated in satisfactory yield of 75 %, 57 % and 85 % respectively. Sorbent material based on these hydrazone compounds was prepared by immobilizing the ligands into a cellulose extracted from coconut fibre. The capability of the sorbent material for the extraction of copper was studied by the batch method. The immobilized cellulose was used as a stationary phase in the solid phase extraction to extract Cu2+ ions from aqueous solution. The optimum condition for an effective extraction such as pH, contact time, Cu2+ and ligands concentrations were investigated. Results obtained showed that the studied sorbent exhibited preferential selectivity towards Cu2+ over other transition metals studied. The method was tested for the extraction of Cu2+ ions from real samples. Reasonable recovery (> 60 %) was found.