Removal of nickel ions from wastewater by Mg(OH)2/MgO nanostructures embedded in Al2O3 membranes

Highly ordered Mg(OH)2 nanotube arrays were prepared inside the pores of porous anodic alumina membranes (AAM) by a simple chemical deposition method. The obtained Mg(OH)2/Al2O3 composite membranes were used to remove nickel ions from wastewater with high removal efficiency. Furthermore, after heating the membranes that contained initial absorbed matter, the resulted MgO/NiO/Al2O3 metal-oxides nanostructures still showed nice performance of removing Ni2+. This composite AAM system and its preparation on a large scale have been discussed, showing potential application in treatment of wastewaters containing heavy-metal ions.