Hierarchical GOs/Fe3O4/PANI magnetic composites as adsorbent for ionic dye pollution treatment

Abstract

Graphene oxides (GOs) decorated with Fe₃O₄ nanoparticles (GOs/Fe₃O₄) were modified by polyaniline (PANI). Selecting methyl orange (MO) as an organic pollutant model, the hierarchical GOs/Fe₃O₄/PANI magnetic composites showed high adsorption capacity toward MO (585.02 mg g⁻¹), which was superior to that of other adsorbents. The nitrogen-containing functional groups of PANI decorated on GOs/Fe₃O₄/PANI provided numerous effective adsorption sites and thus increased the adsorption capacity for MO. Moreover, PANI protected the Fe₃O₄ nanoparticles from dissolution, and therefore improved the stability of GOs/Fe₃O₄/PANI in solution. The results show that the GOs/Fe₃O₄/PANI magnetic composites are promising magnetic nanomaterials for the preconcentration and separation of ionic dye pollutants from aqueous solutions for environmental pollution cleanup.