Effect of surfactants on morphology and textural parameters of silica nanoparticles derived from paddy husk and their efficient removal of methylene blue

Abstract Effective removal of textile dyes is important in environmental remediation especially for decontamination of wastewater. Herein, we report the synthesis of mesoporous silica nanoparticles (MSNs) from paddy husk with varying concentrations of surfactants, Cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB), and Polyethyleneglycol (PEG) by sol-gel synthesis method. Ratios of the surfactants CTAB: PEG were varied as 2:0 (MSN1),1:1 (MSN2), 0:2 (MSN3). MSNs were characterized by scanning electron microscope (SEM), Brunauer-Emmett-Teller surface area analyzer (BET), Thermogravimetric analyzer (TGA), and X-ray diffractometer ..