Preparation and characterization of multi-walled carbon nanotubes/chitosan nanocomposite and its application for the removal of heavy metals from aqueous solution

摘要

Multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) were modified with chitosan, and a homogenous nanocomposite was obtained. The morphological properties of the M WCNTs/chitosan nanocomposite were studied with scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), and thermal gravimetric analysis (TGA). The morphological results indicate the successful modification and the formation of MWCNTs/chitosan nanocomposites. The MWCNTs/chitosan nanocomposite was packed inside a glass column and used for the removal of copper, zinc, cadmium, and nickel ions from aqueous solution. The MWCNTs/chitosan nanocomposite showed a great efficiency for the removal of the target metal ions from the aqueous solution. The results suggested that this novel MWCNTs/chitosan nanocomposite could be used for different environmental applications.