Climate change mitigation requires efficient and low-cost approaches for carbon dioxide (CO2) capture, and valorization of fruit waste offers a sustainable pathway to address this challenge. This study establishes a systematic modeling framework for interpreting CO2 adsorption on activated hydrochars derived from banana and orange peels synthesized via hydrothermal carbonization. Multiple kinetic and isotherm models were evaluated using both the coefficient of determination (\(\:{R}^{2}\)) and the Akaike Information Criterion (\(\:AIC\)) to ensure robust comparison. Kinetic analyses revealed that the pseudo-second-order model (\(\:{R}^{2}\) = 0.997, lowest \(\:AIC\)) and Elovich model best describe the uptake behavior, indicating chemisorption on heterogeneous surfaces. Equilibrium data were most consistent with the Tóth and Sips models (\(\:{R}^{2}\) > 0.99), supporting monolayer adsorption coupled with micropore filling. By combining statistical rigor with mechanistic interpretation, this work advances understanding of the adsorption mechanisms of fruit waste-derived hydrochars and highlights their promise as scalable and sustainable sorbents for CO2 capture.
Data can be made available on a reasonable request.
Temkin constant
Akaike information criterion
Isotherm constant of Redlich-Peterson isotherm
Langmuir affinity constant
Intraparticle diffusion boundary layer thickness
Carbon capture and storage
Carbon capture utilization and storage
Carbon dioxide
Deionized
Hydrothermal carbonization
Rate constant in pseudo-first order
Rate constant in pseudo-second order
Freundlich constant
Intraparticle diffusion constant
Potassium hydroxide
Isotherm constant of Redlich-Peterson isotherm
Metal organic framework
Heterogeneity parameter
Pressure
Saturated vapor pressure of CO2
Pseudo-first order
Pseudo-second order
CO2adsorption
Equilibrium concentration of CO2adsorbed
Experimental adsorption of CO2
Mean experimental adsorption of CO2
Saturated adsorption of CO2
Kinetic model determined adsorption of CO2
Gas constant
Coefficient of correlation
Residual sum of squared
Sustainable development goal
Time
Initial adsorption rate in Elovich isotherm
Desorption constant in Elovich isotherm
Heterogeneity parameter in Redlich-Peterson isotherm
Adsorption potential in Dubinin-Ashtakhov isotherm
Temkin constant
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The authors would like to thank Manipal Academy of Higher Education (MAHE), Manipal, for funding this research through its SEED Grant of October 2024 (PI: Sooraj Mohan).
Open access funding provided by Manipal Academy of Higher Education, Manipal
Sooraj Mohan: Conceptualization, Investigation, Formal analysis, Software, Writing– original draft, review, and editing. K. Ashwini: Software, Analysis, and Writing - original draft. P. Dinesha: Investigation, Formal analysis, Writing – original draft, review, and editing.
The authors declare no competing interests.
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Mohan, S., Ashwini, K. & Dinesha, P. CO2 uptake on fruit wastes-derived activated hydrochars: systematic modeling of adsorption kinetics and isotherms. Sci Rep (2025). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-30726-7
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-30726-7