Preparation of PVA/PAA nanofibers containing thiol-modified silica particles by electrospinning as an eco-friendly Cu (II) adsorbent

Abstract Using an electrospinning technique, thiol-modified silica nanoparticles were incorporated into poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) and poly(acrylic acid) (PAA) hybrid nanofibers to fabricate an eco-friendly adsorbent with enhanced Cu (II) adsorption capacity. The hybrid nanofibers were successfully crosslinked through heat treatment. Cu (II) adsorption characteristics of nanofibers were investigated including silica quantity, surface modification, and pH. Adsorption isotherms and kinetics fit a Langmuir isotherm model and pseudo-second-order model, respectively, implying Cu (II) ion monolayer chemisorption onto the nanofibers. The resultant hybrid fibers exhibited a maximum Cu (II) adsorption capacity of 125.47 mg/g.