Polypyrrole-coated cotton fabrics used for removal of methylene blue from aqueous solution

PPy-coated cotton fabric was prepared in situ chemical polymerization using blends of anionic and cationic surfactants as soft template and investigated as adsorbent to remove dyes in the printing and dyeing wastewater. The PPy-coated fabric was characterized by scanning electronic microscopy and fourier transform infrared spectrum. It was found that the fiber and fabric surfaces were coated by PPy nanoparticles with diameters less than 100 nm which were quite loose and well formed as a three-dimensional network. Dye adsorption experiments demonstrated that the PPy-coated fabric could effectively remove MB dye and the decoloration capacity of MB solution could reach up to 95.6%. Factors influencing the adsorption of MB, e.g. ionic strength, solution pH, contact time, and adsorption mass, were systematically investigated. The adsorption capacity for MB dye increased gradually as its initial concentration increased. The batch experimental results suggested that the PPy-coated fabric could be used as an efficient sorbent to remove dyes in textile effluents.