Phosphorylated polyacrylonitrile‐based electrospun nanofibers for removal of heavy metal ions from aqueous solution

Abstract

The phosphorylated polyacrylonitrile‐based (P‐PAN) nanofibers were prepared by electrospinning technique and used for removal of Cu 2+ , Ni 2+ , Cd 2+ , and Ag + from aqueous solution. The morphological and structural properties of P‐PAN nanofibers were characterized by scanning electron microscope and Fourie transform infrared spectra. The P‐PAN nanofibers were evaluated for the adsorption capacity at various pH, contact time, and reaction temperature in a batch system. The reusability of P‐PAN nanofibers for the removal of heavy metal ions was also determined. Adsorption isotherms and adsorption kinetics were also used to examine the fundamental adsorption properties. It is found that the P‐PAN nanofibers show high efficiency, and the maximal adsorption capacities of metal ions as calculated from the Langmuir model were 92.1, 68.3, 14.8, and 51.7 mg/g, respectively. The kinetics of the heavy metal ions adsorption were found to follow pseudo‐second‐order rate equation, suggesting chemical adsorption can be regarded as the major factor in the adsorption process. Sorption/desorption results reveal that the obtained P‐PAN nanofibers can remain high removal efficiency after four cycles.