Aminated Polyethylene Terephthalate (PET) Nanofibers for the Selective Removal of Pb(II) from Polluted Water
by
Diego Morillo Martín 1, Mohamed Magdi Ahmed 1
, Mónica Rodríguez 2, María A. García 2 and Mirko Faccini 1,*
Diego Morillo Martín 1, Mohamed Magdi Ahmed 1, Mónica Rodríguez 2, María A. García 2 and Mirko Faccini 1,*
1
Leitat Technological Center, C/Pallars, 179-185, 08005 Barcelona, Spain
2
Centro de Excelencia en Nanotecnología Leitat, Fundación Leitat Chile, Mariano Sánchez Fontecilla 310, 701-D, Las Condes, Santiago 8320000, Chile
*
Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Materials 2017, 10(12), 1352; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma10121352
Received: 24 October 2017 / Revised: 20 November 2017 / Accepted: 22 November 2017 / Published: 24 November 2017
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Electrospun Materials 2018)
Electrospun nanofibers have been successfully applied to remove toxic and carcinogenic contaminants such as heavy metals from polluted water. In this study, an efficient adsorbent based on poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET) nanofibers was developed following a cheap, versatile and scalable process. PET nanofibers were first produced by electrospinning, and their surface was chemically functionalized using a simple aminolysis process. The capacity of the resulting material to adsorb Pb(II) from synthetic solutions was evaluated as a function of the contact time, pH, and initial metal ion concentration. The adsorbent system presented a quick kinetic adsorption, reaching an extremely high maximum adsorption capacity of about 50 millimol (mmol) of Pb(II) per gram of adsorbent system after just 30 min. Moreover, the effect of competing metal ions, such as Ni(II), Cd(II) and Cu(II), was studied at different molar ratios. Finally, when tested in continuous flow mode, aminated PET (APET) nanofibers were able to remove 97% of Pb(II) ions in solution, demonstrating their potential for the remediation of heavy metal-contaminated water.
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Keywords:
poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET); surface modification; electrospinning; adsorption nanofibers; wastewater treatment; water remediation; heavy metals pollution; lead removal
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MDPI and ACS Style
Morillo Martín, D.; Magdi Ahmed, M.; Rodríguez, M.; García, M.A.; Faccini, M. Aminated Polyethylene Terephthalate (PET) Nanofibers for the Selective Removal of Pb(II) from Polluted Water. Materials 2017, 10, 1352.
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