Carbon nanotube-chitosan composite electrodes for electrochemical removal of Cu(II) ions

Carbon nanotube-chitosan (CNT-CS) composite electrodes are prepared by firstly reacting oxidized CNT with thionyl chloride and then covalently grafting CS onto the surface of CNT. The electrochemical removal of Cu(2+) ions by CNT-CS composite electrodes is investigated. The results show that CNT-CS Exhibits 85% Cu(2+) removal ratio, 25% higher than that of pristine CNT, due to its lower zeta potential, higher surface area, more hydrophilic surface and more binding sites. (C) 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.