Potential utility and design approach on novel mesoporous polyaniline functionalized ternary composite cation exchanger

Abstract

A mesoporous polyaniline functionalized novel ternary composite cation exchanger was synthesized via sol-gel mixing of polyaniline (PANI) into the matrices of EDTA-Zirconium(IV) iodate (EZI). The PANI/EDTA-Zirconium(IV) iodate(PEZI) composite cation exchanger was found to be good ion exchange capacities (IEC) for different alkali metal ions were: Li+, 2.09; Na+, 2.34; K+, 2.63 meq/g and higher thermal stability. Distribution studies (Kd values) inferred that the cation exchanger becomes highly selective for Pb(II) ions than Hg(II) and Cd(II) ions, respectively and its selectivity was arrested by some analytically and industrially important binary mixtures, viz. Cd(II)– Pb(II), Hg(II)– Pb(II), Cu(II)– Pb(II), Zn(II)– Pb(II), Ni(II)– Pb(II), Fe(III)– Pb(II), etc. on its column. The physico-chemical characterizations as well as the properties of the composite cation exchange material were also determined using UV-Visible, FT-IR, XRD, SEM with EDAX, TEM, BET and TGA studies. The AC-Electrical conductivity of PEZI composite cation exchange material was also studied. The analytical utility of the proposed composite cation exchange material has been successfully employed for the removal of Pb(II) ions from waste water streams.