Synthesis of magnetic polyaniline/graphene oxide composites and their application in the efficient removal of Cu(II) from aqueous solutions

•MPANI/GO composites are synthesized and characterized in detail.•Sorption of Cu(II) on MPANI/GO composites are investigated using batch technique.•The MPANI/GO has much higher sorption capacity than other materials.•The MPANI/GO can be reused for many times in the removal of heavy metal ions.

The magnetic polyaniline/graphene oxide (MPANI/GO) composites were synthesized by using aniline in the presence of GO. The sorption of Cu(II) on the MPANI/GO composites were studied as a function of pH, contact time, ionic strength, foreign cation and anion ions, and the results showed that Cu(II) sorption was strongly dependent on pH, and independent of ionic strength. The sorption of Cu(II) was mainly domonated by outer-sphere surface complexation at low pH, and by inner-sphere surface complexation at high pH. The thermodynamic parameters calculated from temperature-dependent sorption isotherms indicated that the sorption process was endothermic and spontaneous. The MPANI/GO composites were effective materials for the removal of Cu(II) from large volumes of aqueous solutions and could be separated by using magnetic separation method in the practical applications.

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