Abstract
By using a high internal phase emulsion (HIPE) templating approach, we synthesize functional porous nanocomposites containing single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs). HIPEs are prepared from an oil phase consisting of 2-ethylhexyl acrylate (2-EHA) and ethylene glycol dimethacrylate (EGDMA) monomers, while the modified SWCNTs are dispersed in the aqueous phase using sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) surfactant. The resulting monolithic nanocomposites, denoted as PHIPE/SWCNT, with high porosity and effective functional groups are used for selective Cr(VI) removal from contaminated water. The effects of adsorption parameters such as the initial pH of the solution, adsorbent amount, contact time, and initial Cr(VI) concentration on the removal efficiency are investigated and optimized. The experimental results reveal that Cr(VI) adsorption kinetics and equilibrium in PHIPE/SWCNT are well described by the pseudo-second-order and the Langmuir models, respectively. The maximum adsorption capacity of PHIPE/SWCNT for Cr(VI) is found to be 72.35 mg g−1. The presence of competitive sulfate ions in the aqueous media can have a negative effect on the removal efficiency of the adsorbent. The regeneration studies show that the monolith can be reused several times by simply recovering under basic conditions.
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