Facile fabrication of superparamagnetic graphene/polyaniline/Fe₃O₄ nanocomposites for fast magnetic separation and efficient removal of dye.

ABSTRACT: Using graphene as adsorbent for removal of pollutants from polluted water is commonly recognized to be costly because the graphene is usually produced by a very complex process. Herein, a simple and eco-friendly method was employed to fabricate efficient superparamagnetic graphene/polyaniline/Fe₃O₄ nanocomposites for removal of dyes. The exfoliation of graphite as nanosheets and the functionalization of nanosheets with polyaniline and Fe₃O₄ nanoparticles were simultaneously achieved via a one-pot reaction process combining the intercalation polymerization of aniline and the co-precipitation of the residual Fe³⁺ and the generated Fe²⁺. The obtained graphene/polyaniline/Fe₃O₄ nanocomposites exhibited excellent adsorption performance for Congo red, even in the presence of Brilliant green. The adsorption kinetics and adsorption isotherms were well fitted with pseudo second-order kinetic model and Langmuir isotherm model, respectively. In a word, this method is simple and industrially feasible, which provides a new approach to fabricate highly efficient graphene-based adsorbents on large scale for removal of dyes. In addition, it also can be used to exfoliate other two-dimensional materials, such as boron nitride, carbon nitride and MoS₂ for a range of possible applications.

SUBMITTER: Mu B 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5509721 | biostudies-literature | 2017 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature