Magnetic and Electrically Conductive Polypyrrole Nanoparticles As Highly Effective Materials for Heavy Metal Removal and Sensing

Abstract

Heavy metals such as arsenic, cadmium, chromium, nickel, and lead are a well-known source of pollution of air, water, and soil. Their presence in the environment can cause harmful effects in plants, animals, and humans. To address the consequences of heavy metals pollution, there is a need for technology to detect, capture and remove heavy metal contamination from the environment. This presentation reports the synthesis and characterization of polypyrrole (PPy) - magnetite (Fe3O4-PPy) nanoparticles, prepared via a chemical oxidative polymerization process using polyvinyl alcohol as a surfactant. The Fe3O4-PPy nanoparticles have spherical shape and size ranging from 110 to 220 nm and are characterized by high magnetic properties and good electrical conductivity. The particles displayed high sorption capacity for arsenic removal from contaminated water, evaluated using Atomic Absorption Spectroscopy (AAS). The high affinity for contaminants was also used to develop a highly sensitive electrochemical technique for the detection of metal ion exposure.