Poly(N,N-dimethylaminoethyl methacrylate) modification of activated carbon for copper ions removal

Poly(N,N-dimethylaminoethyl methacrylate) (PDMAEMA) functionalization of rice husk-based activated carbon was prepared and its application in the removal of copper ions was investigated. The structural properties of the resulting composite material were characterized by means of N₂ adsorption/desorption, Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). The obtained composite is observed to hold a relatively large pore diameter of 3.8 nm and high surface area of 789 m² g^?1 with 12 wt% of PDMAEMA coated, which is significant for its use as adsorbent. The ability of the composite material for removing Cu²⁺ from aqueous solution was studied by batch experiments. The adsorption data obeyed the Langmuir isotherms, which revealed that 1 g of the prepared material could adsorb 31.46 mg of Cu²⁺ from its aqueous solution. The PDMAEMA functionalized activated carbon is expected to be used as an efficient adsorbent for removing other heavy metal ions and dyes in water.