Enhanced adsorption of cationic and anionic dyes from aqueous solutions by polyacid doped polyaniline

Abstract A new high surface area polyaniline (PANI) adsorbent was synthesized by matrix polymerization of aniline in the presence of a polyacid, poly(2-acrylamido-2-methyl-1-propanesulfonic acid) (PAMPSA). Morphological and physicochemical properties of PANI-PAMPSA were characterized by field emission scanning electron microscope (FESEM), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), X-ray powder diffraction (XRD), nitrogen adsorption/desorption and zeta potential measurement. Adsorption properties were evaluated using methylene blue (MB) and rose bengal (RB) as model dyes. The results showed that PANI-PAMPSA obtained a well-defined porous structure with a specific surface area (126 m 2  g −1 ) over 10 times larger than that of the emeraldine base PANI (PANI-EB) (12 m 2  g −1 ). The maximum adsorption capacities were 466.5 mg g −1 for MB and 440.0 mg g −1 for RB, higher than any other PANI-based materials reported in the literature. The FTIR analysis and zeta potential measurement revealed that the adsorption mechanisms involved π-π interaction and electrostatic interaction. The adsorption kinetics were best described by a pseudo-second-order model, and the adsorption isotherms followed the Langmuir model. The thermodynamic study indicated that the adsorption was a spontaneous endothermic process. Overall, the convenient synthesis and the high adsorption capacity make PANI-PAMPSA a promising adsorbent material for dye removal.