Hierarchical GOs/Fe3O4/PANI magnetic composites as adsorbent for ionic dye pollution treatment

Graphene oxides (GOs) decorated with Fe3O4 nanoparticles (GOs/Fe3O4) were modified by polyaniline (PANI). Selecting methyl orange (MO) as an organic pollutant model, the hierarchical GOs/Fe3O4/PANI magnetic composites showed high adsorption capacity toward MO (585.02 mg g(-1)), which was superior to that of other adsorbents. The nitrogen-containing functional groups of PANI decorated on GOs/ Fe3O4/PANI provided numerous effective adsorption sites and thus increased the adsorption capacity for MO. Moreover, PANI protected the Fe3O4 nanoparticles from dissolution, and therefore improved the stability of GOs/Fe3O4/PANI in solution. The results show that the GOs/Fe3O4/PANI magnetic composites are promising magnetic nanomaterials for the preconcentration and separation of ionic dye pollutants from aqueous solutions for environmental pollution cleanup.