Polyaniline‐functionalized magnetic nanoparticles for the removal of toxic dye from wastewater

A novel and inexpensive approach was adopted to develop a magnetic nanocomposite for the adsorption of cationic dye from an aqueous solution. This nanocomposite, which was based on a superparamagnetic iron oxide nanocore, was functionalized with a hydrophilic coating of polyaniline (PANI). The nanoparticle size, colloidal stability, surface chemistry, and magnetic properties were studied extensively by transmission electron microscopy, X‐ray diffraction, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, and vibrating sample magnetometry. The polymeric functionalized magnetic nanocomposite had an average core size of 20–40 nm and a shell size of 6–10 nm. To evaluate the potential of such nanocomposites for dye adsorption, malachite green (MG) was exposed with different operational parameters, such as the pH, temperature, initial concentration of the dye, contact time, and reusability. The rate of the adsorption followed pseudo‐second‐order kinetics with the adsorption isotherm fit the Langmuir isotherm model well. The maximum adsorption capacity was 240 mg of MG/g of adsorbent. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2014 , 131, 40840.