Preparation of three-dimensional PANI/GO for the separation of Hg(II) from aqueous solution

Graphene based adsorbents have attracted great interesting due to their excellent characteristics such as high adsorption capacity. In this work, a new three-dimensional composite of polyaniline (PANI) and graphene oxide (GO) was synthesized by in-situ polymerization technique, and then was adapted to eliminate Hg(II) from aqueous solution. The results showed that PANI/GO has exceptional capability in eliminating trace Hg(II) from aqueous solution. The maximum adsorption capacity of PANI/GO for Hg(II) achieves to 80.7 mg/g at pH 5.0, and the adsorption isotherms can be well described by Langmuir isotherms model, suggesting the mono-layer adsorption of Hg(II) on PANI/GO and possible chemisorption of Hg(II) on PANI/GO. PANI/GO has highly potential application in the cleanup of Hg(II) contamination from aqueous solution due to its excellent adsorption capability to Hg(II). (c) 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.