Nanocomposite functionalized membranes based on silica nanoparticles crosslinked to electrospun nanofibrous support for arsenic (V) adsorption from contaminated underground water

LUCÍA YOHAI; H. GIRALDO MEJÍA; R. PROCACCINI; S PELLICE; K. LAXMAN KUNJALI; J. DUTTA; ABDUSALAM UHEIDA

RSC Advances

Royal Society of Chemistry

Año: 2019 vol. 9 p. 8280 - 8289

Nanocomposite functionalized membranes were synthesized using modified mesoporous silica nanoparticles cross-linked to modified polyacrylonitrile nanofibrous substrate for the removal of As (V). Adsorption experiments for were performed in batch mode, at pH 8 with water spired with 1 mg L-1 of As (V); a concentration much higher than what has been reported for underground water in Argentina. Arsenic adsorption was studied with modified nanoparticles (MCM-NH2 or MCM-PEI), as well as the nanoparticles embedded in modified nanofibrous support (mPAN / MCM-NH2 and mPAN / MCM-PEI). Adsorption efficiency of As (V) was found to be twenty times higher in the nanocomposite membranes. Additional surface modification of nanocomposite membranes with Fe3+ (mPAN / MCM-NH2-Fe3+ and mPAN / MCM-PEI- Fe3+) further enhanced the adsorption efficiency with more than 95% arsenic adsorpted within the first 15 minutes. After 90 min, adsorption of 4.61 mg g-1 and 5.89 mg g-1 of arsenic was observed for mPAN / MCM-NH2-Fe3+ and mPAN / MCM-PEI-Fe3+, respectively. The adsorption characteristics followed a pseudo-first order behavior for all the nanocomposites studied here. HR-TEM, SEM, FTIR and Zeta Potential measurements were carried out. Results reveal that the synthesized materials are adequate for reducing As (V) concentrations below the WHO guidelines within a short period of time, and are, as thus, promising materials for effective and quick removal of As (V) from contaminated water.