Synthesis and Characterization of Polyaniline/Fe3O4 Magnetic Nanocomposite as Practical Approach for Fluoride Removal Process

In order that removal of excess fluoride from water a novel magnetic nanocomposite has been synthesized. Magnetic nanoparticles were successfully synthesized by chemical co-precipitation method. Afterwards, polyaniline containing magnetic nanoparticles were prepared by in-situ doping polymerization in the presence of HCl. The polyaniline/Fe3O4 magnetic nanocomposite has been characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) techniques. Vibrating sample magnetometer (VSM) was also used for magnetization characterization of polyaniline/Fe3O4 nanocomposite at room temperature. The conductivity and magnetic properties of the polyaniline containing Fe3O4 nanoparticles showed that the samples have a novel conductivity and a superparamagnetic behavior. Subsequently, the ability of the adsorbent to remove fluoride from water was demonstrated in a batch sorption mode. Results reveal that the adsorption is rapid and the adsorbent has high affinity for fluoride, which depends on solution pH and adsorbent dose.