Preparation and Characterization of Polyaniline/Sb2O3 Nanocomposite and its Application for Removal of Pb(II) from Aqueous Media

Nanocomposite of polyaniline (PAn) containing nanometer size Sb2O3 was prepared in aqueous media via in situ chemical oxidative polymerization method at room temperature in the presence of hydroxypropylcellulose (HPC) as a surfactant. The ability of the product for removal of lead ions from aqueous solution was studied. The chemical structure and morphology were studied by fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and X-ray diffraction (XRD). The results indicated that Sb2O3 and HPC influence the properties of products. Batch studies were carried out to estimate the influence of pH and contact time on Pb(II) removal percentage. The results showed that the PAn/Sb2O3 nanocomposite had a considerable ability for removal of Pb(II) from aqueous solution. Optimum conditions for Pb(II) removal were found to be pH 3 and equilibrium time 30 min. It was also found that the equilibrium adsorption isotherm was better described by Freundlich adsorption isotherm model.