Removal of 4,4 '-dichlorinated biphenyl from aqueous solution using methyl methacrylate grafted multiwalled carbon nanotubes

Methyl methacrylate (MMA) is grafted on multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) by using N-2 plasma technique. The MMA grafted MWCNTs (MWCNT-g-pMMA) are characterized by using Raman spectroscopy, powder X-ray diffraction, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, thermo gravimetric analysis-differential thermal analysis (TGA-DTA), and potentiometric acid-base titration method. The application of MWCNT-g-pMMA in the removal of 4,4'-dichlorinated biphenyl (4,4'-DCB) from large volumes of aqueous solutions is investigated under ambient conditions. The results indicate that the adsorption of 4,4'-DCB on MWCNT-g-pMMA is much higher than that of 4,4'-DCB on MWCNTs, and the adsorbed 4,4'-DCB is difficult to be thermally decomposed from MWCNT-g-pMMA according to the TGA-DTA analysis. MWCNT-g-pMMA are suitable materials in the preconcentration and immobilization of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) from large volumes of aqueous solutions in environmental pollution cleanup. (C) 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.