Enhancement of heavy metal ion adsorption using electrospun polyacrylonitrile nanofibers loaded with ZnO nanoparticles

Abstract

This article describes the adsorption and tensile behavior of electrospun polyacrylonitrile (PAN) nanofiber mats loaded with different amounts of ZnO [0.5, 1.0, 2.0, and 5.0 wt%] nanoparticles. X‐ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Fourier transforminfrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, and thermal gravimetric analysis (TGA) were utilized to characterize the resulting composite nanofibers. Microscopic investigations revealed that the increase in surface roughness and diameter of the electrospun PAN nanofibers was due to the addition of ZnO nanoparticles. Adsorption results indicated that the fabricated PAN/ZnO (2.0 wt%) composite nanofiber mats showed the best adsorption performance with 261% and 167% increase in adsorption capacities for Pb(II) and Cd(II) from aqueous solutions, respectively, compared to pristine PAN nanofibers. The adsorption equilibrium was reached within 60 min, and the process could be described using the nonlinear pseudo‐second‐order kinetic model. The adsorption isotherm study was better represented by the Langmuir model, which suggested a homogeneous distribution of the monolayer adsorptive sites on the surface of the composite nanofibers. Mechanical testing revealed that the decrease in tensile strength and elongation at breakof the PAN/ZnO composite nanofiber mats was due to the formation of some bead defects and agglomerates within the structure of the PAN nanofibers. © 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2019, 136, 47209.

Electrospun Bilayer PAN/Chitosan Nanofiber Membranes Incorporated with Metal Oxide Nanoparticles for Heavy Metal Ion Adsorption

“…The bilayer nanofiber mats composed of PAN/MO (PAN/ZnO and PAN/TiO 2 ) and CS were fabricated using electrospinning. The first layer of electrospun PAN mixed with 2.0 wt % ZnO or PAN mixed with 2.0 wt % and 5.0 wt % TiO 2 were prepared following our previously published procedure [9,25]. It was found that as the concentration increases to more than these percentages, the adsorption decreases.…”

“…2.0 wt % of ZnO nanoparticles was used for lead and cadmium adsorption experiments, 2.0 and 5.0 wt % of TiO 2 nanoparticles were used for lead and cadmium adsorption experiments, respectively. These amounts were selected based on our previous study, as they provided the most favorable removal percentages against the metal ions [9,25]. For the purpose of simplicity and clarity, the weight percentages of ZnO and TiO 2 will not be written explicitly in the labels of the bilayer mats (e.g., PAN/TiO 2 (2 wt %)-CS will be referred to as PAN/TiO 2 -CS only).…”

“…Similar improvements were observed in our previous work, where lead and cadmium ions were adsorbed onto PAN functionalized with ZnO and TiO 2 . The adsorption performance was significantly improved to 260%, in comparison to pristine PAN nanofibers [9,25].…”

“…Similar improvements were observed in our previous work, where lead and cadmium ions were adsorbed onto PAN functionalized with ZnO and TiO 2 . The adsorption performance was significantly improved to 260%, in comparison to pristine PAN nanofibers [9,25].Chitosan (CS), a natural biopolymer with antibacterial and antifungal properties, has attracted significant interest due to its unique advantages, such as its abundancy in nature, nontoxicity, biodegradability, and heavy metal ion adsorption properties [26]. Biopolymers are well-known as low cost and easy to use materials for different environmental applications [27].…”

Electrospinning of polyacrylonitrile nanofibers embedded with zerovalent iron and cerium oxide nanoparticles, as Cr(VI) adsorbents for water treatment

“…Peter et al reported arsenate and chromate adsorption via a polymer–iron oxide nanofiber (NF) filter . Alharbi et al fabricated polyacrylonitrile (PAN)/ZnO composite NFs to adsorb Pb(II) and Cd(II) ions …”