Preparation, characterization and performance of an electrospun carbon nanofiber mat applied in hexavalent chromium removal from aqueous solution

摘要

Hexavalent chromium, Cr(VI), a highly toxic oxyanion known as a carcinogen and mutagen, is an issue of concern due to its adverse impact on human health. Therefore, development of effective technologies and/or materials for Cr(VI) removal from water has been of great interest for researchers. In this study, an electrospun carbon nanofiber (CNF) mat was preparedviaelectrospinning polyacrylonitrile (PAN), followed by thermal pre-oxidation and carbonization. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) observation showed that the fiber diameter of the CNF with carbonization temperature of 950°C (CNF950) was about 266?nm. Potentiometric titration analysis demonstrated that the point of zero charge pH (pHpzc) of CNF950was around 7.93. CNF950demonstrated high adsorption capacity and fast adsorption kinetics for Cr(VI) at pH?