Synthesis, characterization and using at the copper adsorption of chitosan/polyvinyl alcohol magnetic composite

•A chitosan/polyvinyl alcohol (CTN/PVA) magnetic composite was prepared and characterized.•The removal of Cu(II) was investigated from aqueous solution by CTN/PVA.•The maximum adsorption capacity (Qmax) was found to be 143 mg g− 1 by Langmuir isotherm.

A chitosan/polyvinyl alcohol (CTN/PVA-Fe3O4) magnetic composite was prepared in one step and examined by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), scanning electron microscopy-energy dispersive X-ray analysis (SEM-EDX), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), dynamic light scattering (DLS), Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET), thermal gravimetric analysis/differential thermal analysis (TGA-DTA) and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). Effects of several parameters, such as temperature, pH, and initial concentration on removal of Cu(II) from aqueous solution by the CTN/PVA magnetic composite were studied as a function of contact time. Equilibrium data obtained from sorption of Cu(II) solutions having initial concentrations of 25 to 400 mg L− 1 by sorption of the CTN/PVA magnetic composite at different temperatures (25, 35 and 45 °C) were applied to Langmuir and Freundlich adsorption isotherms. Maximum adsorption capacity (Qmax) was found to be 143 mg g− 1 by using Langmuir isotherm model, by which thermodynamic parameters (ΔHo, ΔGo and ΔSo) were also calculated. Activation energy was calculated by using rate constants for this model and its value was found 26.52 kJ mol− 1.

Graphical abstractDownload high-res image (78KB)Download full-size image