Adsorption of pyridine from aqueous solution by surface treated carbon nanotubes

The surface treatment of multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) with acid, heat, ultrasonic, and polyvinyl alcohol has been examined. The original CNTs and four treated CNTs were first used as adsorbents to remove pyridine from water and the adsorption isotherms of pyridine on CNTs were studied. At the same time, the effect of pH, temperature, and the adsorption kinetics on the adsorption of pyridine were also evaluated. The experiments show that the adsorption of pyridine on different CNTs is mainly a physical process and the data fit the Freundlich adsorption isotherm well. The short time needed to reach equilibrium as well as the high adsorption capacity of pyridine suggests that CNTs possess highly potential applications for pyridine removal from water.