Electrospinning of Nafion and polyvinyl alcohol into nanofiber membranes: A facile approach to fabricate functional adsorbent for heavy metals

• Novel approach to fabricate Nafion with PVA into nanofiber mats by electrospinning.
• Membrane possessed metal ion adsorption properties and strong mechanical properties.
• Adsorption capacity for metal ions (mg g−1) Cu2+ 59.1, Cr3+ 42.5, Co2+ 24.7, As3+ 22.7.
• Scope for other applications by engineering surface area and exposing ionic properties.

A novel approach to fabricate Nafion PFSA resin with polymer polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) into nanofiber membrane, as a functional adsorbent for heavy metal ions had been achieved. Nafion PFSA in N,N-dimethylacetamide (DMAc) was blended with aqueous solution of PVA by sol gel method and fabricated by electrospinning. Electrospun Nafion-PVA mats had exhibited more stability, better mechanical and adsorption properties. These nanofiber membranes possessed adsorption properties based on observed adsorption capacity for Cu (II) 59.1 mg g−1, Cr (III) 42.5 mg g−1, Co (II) 24.7 mg g−1, and As (III) 22.7 mg g−1 metal ions in an aqueous solution. These nanofiber membranes were characterized by Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), High-Resolution Transmission Electron Microscopy (HRTEM) images, Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), X-ray diffraction (XRD) and X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS) for their morphological, structural and adsorption properties.

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