Herein, two novel porous polymer matrix nanocomposites were synthesized and used as adsorbents for heavy metal uptake. Methacrylate-modified large mesoporous silica FDU-12 was incorporated in poly(methyl methacrylate) matrix through an in-situ polymerization approach. For another, amine-modified FDU-12 was composited with Nylon 6,6 via a facile solution blending protocol. Various characterization techniques including small-angle X-ray scattering, FTIR spectroscopy, field emission-scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, porosimetry, and thermogravimetric analysis have been applied to investigate the physical and chemical properties of the prepared materials. The adsorption of Pb(II) onto the synthesized nanocomposites was studied in a batch system. After study the effect of solution pH, adsorbent amount, contact time, and initial concentration of metal ion on the adsorption process, kinetic studies were also conducted. For both adsorbents, the Langmuir and pseudo-second-order models were found to be the best fit to predict isotherm and kinetics of adsorption. Based on the Langmuir model, maximum adsorption capacities of 105.3 and 109.9 mg g−1 were obtained for methacrylate-modified FDU-12/poly(methyl methacrylate) and amine-modified FDU-12/Nylon 6,6, respectively.

In this study, porous methacrylate-modified FDU-12/poly(methyl methacrylate) and amine-modified FDU-12/Nylon 6 nanocomposites were synthesized via a facile solution casting protocol. The physicochemical properties of the prepared materials were studied using various characterization techniques including Fourier transform-infrared spectroscopy, field emission-scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, and nitrogen adsorption/desorption. After characterization of the materials, the prepared nanocomposites were applied as novel adsorbents for the removal of Pb(II) from aqueous media. In this regard, the effect of various parameters including solution pH, adsorbent amount, contact time, and initial concentration of Pb(II) on the adsorption process was investigated. To study the mechanism of adsorption, kinetic studies were conducted. The kinetic models of pseudo-first-order, pseudo-second-order, Elovich, and intraparticle diffusion were employed. The results revealed that the adsorption of Pb(II) onto methacrylate-modified FDU-12/poly(methyl methacrylate) and amine-modified FDU-12/Nylon 6 adsorbents followed the pseudo-second-order kinetic model. Also, different isotherms including Langmuir, Freundlich, and Dubinin-Radushkevich were applied to evaluate the equilibrium adsorption data. Langmuir isotherm provided the best fit with the equilibrium data of both adsorbents with maximum adsorption capacities of 99.0 and 94.3 mg g-1 for methacrylate-modified FDU-12/poly(methyl methacrylate) and amine-modified FDU-12/Nylon 6, respectively, for the removal of Pb(II).