The core–shell ThO2-PANI nanocomposite was synthesized
using polyaniline (PANI) as a favorable conducting polymer and used
for the removal of Cr(VI) from water. Thorium dioxide (ThO2) nanoparticles were embedded by PANI via an in situ polymerization
process. The formation of the material was investigated by XRD, FESEM,
EDX, TEM, TGA-DTA, FTIR, Raman, XPS, and N2 sorption isotherm
analysis. The FESEM and TEM analyses confirmed that PANI was successfully
formed on the ThO2 surface. The ThO2-PANI nanocomposite
could effectively adsorb Cr(VI) through electrostatic attractions,
which were partially reduced to Cr(III) during the adsorption experiment,
ensuring the proficient adsorption as well as better removal of Cr(VI)
from water. The synthesized nanocomposite material exhibited a high
uptake capacity toward Cr(VI) as compared to other reported materials.
The adsorption kinetics data sufficiently defined the pseudo-second-order
kinetic model. The Cr(VI) adsorption onto ThO2-PANI was
greatly dependent on the solution pH. The Langmuir isotherm model
followed the adsorption process better than the Freundlich isotherm
with a maximum adsorption capacity of 141 mg g–1. Thermodynamic parameters were also computed, which indicated the
spontaneous and endothermic nature of the adsorption process. The
current study indicates that synthesized ThO2-PANI may
be crucial for the efficient adsorption of Cr(VI).
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.