{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,15]],"date-time":"2026-09-15T03:14:50Z","timestamp":1789442090234,"version":"build-2803163510"},"reference-count":40,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"5","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2020,2,25]],"date-time":"2020-02-25T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1582588800000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"funder":[{"DOI":"10.13039\/501100004919","name":"King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","award":["Project No. 12-Env2229-46"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["Project No. 12-Env2229-46"]}],"id":[{"id":"10.13039\/501100004919","id-type":"DOI","asserted-by":"publisher"}]}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["IJMS"],"abstract":"<jats:p>This work reports the synthesis of new layered double hydroxide (LDH) composites using sewage-based ZnCl2-activated carbon (AC) intercalated with MgFe (AC-MgFe-LDH) and an evaluation of their adsorptive performance for phenol removal from water. The effect of the AC loading on the final properties of synthesized composites was investigated via various characterization techniques. The results showed efficient decoration at 0.1\u20130.25 g AC loading within the layers of AC\u2013MgFe composites LDH, which was reflected in the higher surface area (233.75 m2\/g) and surface functionalities (OH, NO3, C-O-C, and MMO) yielding a significant improvement of the phenol removal efficiency. However, at higher contents, AC loading led to the breakage of the LDH structure and agglomeration, as indicated by the deterioration in the textural and structural properties. The isotherm and kinetic data were well fitted by the Langmuir and pseudo-second-order model, respectively, with a maximum obtained monolayer adsorption capacity of 138.69 mg\/g. The thermodynamics results demonstrated that phenol adsorption is an endothermic process. The sorption mechanism of phenol molecules on the AC\u2013MgFe composite was governed by chemical bonding with OH, C=O, and MMO groups and pore diffusion via \u03c0\u2013\u03c0 interactions. Superior phenol removal with excellent recyclability up to five cycles of the new AC\u2013MgFe composite suggested its use as a potential adsorbent for effective phenol removal from water and wastewater streams.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/ijms21051563","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2020,2,26]],"date-time":"2020-02-26T04:18:29Z","timestamp":1582690709000},"page":"1563","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":30,"title":["Sewage Sludge ZnCl2-Activated Carbon Intercalated MgFe\u2013LDH Nanocomposites: Insight of the Sorption Mechanism of Improved Removal of Phenol from Water"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"21","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-1402-544X","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Nuhu Dalhat","family":"Mu\u2019azu","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Environmental Engineering, College of Engineering, Imam Abdulrahman Bin Faisal University, P.O. Box 1982, Dammam 31451, Saudi Arabia"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-1786-3393","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Mukarram","family":"Zubair","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Environmental Engineering, College of Engineering, Imam Abdulrahman Bin Faisal University, P.O. Box 1982, Dammam 31451, Saudi Arabia"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Nabeel","family":"Jarrah","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Chemical Engineering, Mutah University, Karak 61710, Jordan"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-2793-575X","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Omar","family":"Alagha","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Environmental Engineering, College of Engineering, Imam Abdulrahman Bin Faisal University, P.O. Box 1982, Dammam 31451, Saudi Arabia"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-6500-7532","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Mamdouh A.","family":"Al-Harthi","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Chemical Engineering, King Fahd University of Petroleum &amp; Minerals, Dhahran 31261, Saudi Arabia"},{"name":"Center of Research Excellences in Nanotechnology, King Fahd University of Petroleum &amp; Minerals, Dhahran 31261, Saudi Arabia"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-7285-2294","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Mohammed H.","family":"Essa","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Civil Environmental Engineering, King Fahd University of Petroleum &amp; Minerals, Dhahran 31261, Saudi Arabia"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2020,2,25]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Schweitzer, L., and Noblet, J. 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