Abstract:

Background: This study presents the first successful cyclic voltammetry-assisted one-step electrochemical synthesis of polyaniline-iron oxide nanocomposites. The composite films were developed by reducing an irontriethanolamine complex in an alkaline solution containing aniline monomers, enabling the uniform integration of iron oxide nanoparticles into a conductive polyaniline matrix.
Methods: The nanocomposites were synthesized through electrodeposition, and characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). Thermal stability was evaluated using thermogravimetric (TGA) and differential thermal analysis (DTA).
Signifcant Findings: The synthesized nanocomposites exhibited excellent capabilities for adsorption or uptake lead and cadmium ions lead and cadmium ions from water, following a chemisorption mechanism as suggested by kinetic and isotherm modeling. The materi als demonstrated high reusability with negligible loss in adsorption effciency over three consecutive adsorption-desorption cycles, and good repeatability with consistent adsorption capacities across multiple batches. Maximum adsorption capacities reached 96.99 mg/g for cadmium and 335.57
mg/g for lead, surpassing many reported materials. This work highlights a scalable electrochemical approach for fabricating high-performance nanocomposite adsorbents for water purifcation.