Indigo adsorption on a silicate surface: a theoretical density functional study

The applicability of naturally available low-cost and eco-friendly adsorbent materials for the removal of hazardous dyes from aqueous waste is of increasing environmental interest. Among the adsorption treatments available, clays seem to be economically attractive due to their abundance and adsorption capabilities. Indeed, many ancient coloring materials utilized clays mixed with natural dyes (e.g., indigo in Maya Blue). In this work, we performed a quantum-mechanical theoretical study of the adsorption of the indigo molecule onto the (001) surface of a phyllosilicate. Different methods and approaches were applied and compared. We found that the presence of a tetrahedral charge and a sodium counterion significantly increased the adsorption energy of the indigo molecule. The vibrational spectrum of the dye-surface system was also studied, and some interesting shifts in the frequencies of the main vibrational modes of indigo due to its interaction with the surface of the clay mineral were identified.