Fast and high efficiency adsorption of Pb(II) ions by Cu/ZnO composite

Cu/ZnO composite with surface area of 35.10 m2/g and high adsorption capacity of lead ions was successfully prepared by a simple sol-gel method. X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, energy dispersive X-ray and BET surface area studies outcome revealed the substitution of Cu into ZnO lattice with additional Cu-O phase. The average diameter of the composite was about16 nm. The synthesized nanocomposites has a short adsorption equilibrium time of 35.0 min as well as a superb efficiency for Pb(II) ions removal (1111.0 mg.g−1).