Synthesis of aminated electrospun carbon nanofibers and their application in removal of cationic dye

Abstract

Electrospun carbon nanofibers (ECNFs) are hydrophobic materials and have inadequate dispersion in aqueous media. To solve this problem and sustain their applications in removing ionic pollutants, this study focuses on changing their nature to hydrophilic via surface functionalization using various amine-containing compounds such as ethylene diamine (EDA), p-phenylenediamine (PDA), 2,6-diaminopyridine (DAPy) and melamine (melam). These compounds can be grafted onto oxidized ECNFs (O-ECNFs) through amidation reaction, thus forming amine-functionalized electrospun carbon nanofibers (ECNFs-NH2). The morphology and structure of the prepared adsorbents were investigated using routine analysis. ECNFs-NH2 was applied for the removal of cationic dye and the obtained results showed that the adsorption capacity of ECNFs-NH2 was dependent on the type of amine agent. Moreover, the isotherm and kinetic studies of MB removal by ECNFs-NH2 followed Redlich-Peterson and pseudo-second order model, respectively. Adsorption mechanism of MB onto the surface of ECNFs-NH2 was proposed and calculated in terms of thermodynamic parameters.