(393be) Magnetic Polymer Nanocomposites for Environmental Remediation

Magnetic Polymer Nanocomposites
for Environmental Remediation

Hongbo Gu, Sowjanya B.
Rapole, Yudong Huang, Suying Wei and Zhanhu Guo

In this talk, the toxic Cr(VI)
removal from polluted water by the magnetic conductive polyaniline (PANI) polymer
nanocomposites (PNCs) synthesized using a facile surface initiated polymerization
(SIP) method was investigated. The effects of initial Cr(VI) concentration, PNC
concentration and pH value on the Cr(VI) removal have been studied. The
synthesized PNCs showed unique capability to remove Cr(VI) in solutions with a
wide pH range. The saturation magnetization of these PNCs was observed to have
no obvious decrease after treatment with Cr(VI) solutions and they can be
easily recycled by a permanent magnet from the solution. The Cr(VI) removal
kinetics in the different pH solutions was determined. The Cr(VI) removal mechanism
was investigated by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), X-ray
photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), energy-filter transmission electron microscopy
(EFTEM) and temperature dependent resistivity as well.