Nanofibers of resorcinol–formaldehyde for effective adsorption of As (III) ions from mimicked effluents

Abstract

In the present study, the core–shell structured RF/PVA nanofibers have been developed and used for the adsorption of As3+ ions from the mimicked liquid effluents. Efficient-facile fabrication of the structured nanofibers (300–417 nm diameter) was accomplished using facile electrospinning technique. Chi parameter (χ = 25.56) and free energy of mixing (Emix = 17.19 kcal/mol) calculated via molecular dynamics simulations depicted compatibility of the polymeric system resulting supermolecular core–shell nanofibers, whose adsorption results were also supported by the FE-SEM, FT-IR, and UV-VIS spectroscopy analysis. The adsorption analysis was performed using both linear and non-linear regression methods, for kinetic models and adsorption isotherms. The developed nanofibers demonstrated an adsorption capacity of 11.09 mg/g at a pH of 7, and an adsorption efficiency of 97.46% on protracted exposure, which is even adaptable at high temperatures with 93.1% reclamation. FE-SEM analysis and FT-IR spectra confirm the adsorption of As (III) ions on RF/PVA nanofibers and the presence of embedded hydrophilic oxygen sites for metal ion adsorption. The developed RF/PVA nanofibers demonstrate scalability in fabrication, low-cost, recycling, and less solid waste generation, depicting the large-scale applicability in removing arsenic ions from effluent waste.