Facile production of HNTs\PDA\PF nanocomposites by unique and environment-friendly method for the removal of phenolic pollutants in water as an environmental adsorbent

Abstract

Abstract A new kind of hybrid nanocomposites (NC)s consisted of phenol-formaldehyde (PF), polydopamine (PDA) and modified halloysite nanotubes (HNT)s had been prepared by sonochemical synthesis. The surface modifications of HNTs were achieved by mussel inspired sonochemistry using dopamine (DA) as an active intermediate. In this process bio-safe DA could self-polymerized to adhere to the surface of HNTs and formed an active PDA species. The PF/PDA/HNT NCs had been fabricated by the in-situ polymerization of phenol, formaldehyde in alkaline condition in the presence of PDA modified HNTs through polycondensation reaction. Characterizations with FT-IR, powder X-ray diffraction, field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and atomic force microscopy (AFM) confirmed the synthesis of NCs with well dispersion properties. In continuation of the research the possiblity of application of prepared nanomaterials for removal of phenolic compounds were inspected. Obtained results showed that the presence of nanotubular filler, existance of different polar functional units in PDA structures, H-bonding and hydrophobic interactions of PF matrix with phenols are the key factors for improving the adsorption capacity for phenol by PF/PDA/HNTs NCs.