Preparation and properties of phosphinic acid functionalized polyacrylonitrile hollow fiber membrane for heavy metal adsorption

Abstract In this study, phosphorylated polyacrylonitrile hollow fiber membrane was synthesized by reacting aminated polyacrylonitrile hollow fiber membrane with phosphinic acid in a Mannich reaction. The batch single factor measurements revealed that the PPAN membrane had an outstanding ability for Hg2+ adsorption. Thermodynamic investigations indicated that the adsorption process was homogenous, and the theoretical maximum adsorption capacity predicted by the Langmuir model was 371.75 mg·g− 1. The PPAN membrane was able to successfully chelate Hg2+ ions and attain saturation in 4 hours, demonstrating that the reaction was chemically controlled by the adsorption kinetics. Based on the FT-IR and XPS spectral characterization data, successful phosphinic acid group grafting was proven, and a plausible mechanism for Hg2+ adsorption by PPAN membranes was presented. Furthermore, the five adsorption-desorption cycle experiments revealed that PPAN hollow fiber membranes had outstanding reusability, indicating a possible use for removing heavy metal ions from wastewater.