Thermodynamic and kinetic study of adsorptive removal of lead by the nanocomposite loaded nanofibers

Herein, the fabrication of electrospun nanocomposites, using polyacrylonitrile nanofibers (PNF) modified with nano-bentonite and fly ash, is explained. Further, the use of developed electrospun adsorbent for the remediation of noxious Pb (II) ions from the aqueous solution has been discussed. Pristine PNF and nanocomposites were characterized by SEM, EDX, and FTIR to analyze surface topology, elemental composition, and functional groups, respectively. The adsorptive behavior of developed adsorbents was investigated using the effects of dosage, initial concentration, time, and temperature. Pseudo-second order kinetics fit well with experimental data and the adsorption followed intra-particle diffusion. The thermodynamics study reveals that the adsorption was endothermic and spontaneous. Nanocomposites-based adsorbents showed improved adsorption capacity for Pb (II) ions compared to pristine PNF.

Automated summary

In this study, electrospun nanocomposites were fabricated using modified polyacrylonitrile nanofibers, and their effectiveness in removing Pb (II) ions from aqueous solution was discussed. The nanocomposites exhibited enhanced adsorption capacity compared to the pristine nanofibers, with adsorption following specific kinetic models. The thermodynamic study showed that the adsorption process was endothermic and spontaneous.