Synthesis, characterization and application of polypyrrole-cellulose nanocomposite for efficient Ni(II) removal from aqueous solution: Box-Behnken design optimization

The role of polypyrrole-cellulose (PPy-Ce) nanocomposite for the removal of Ni(II) from aqueous solution was investigated by batch experiments. The PPy-Ce nanocomposite was prepared by chemical oxidate polymerization of pyrrole monomer with cellulose. Transmission electron micrography (TEM) showed the size of the particles varied from 80 to 95 nm. The characteristic C-O, O-H, C-N and C-C vibrations in the Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectra indicate that the cellulose successfully integrated with the pyrrole. Influence of experimental variables such as pH, contact time, adsorbent dose and initial Ni(II) concentration were optimized using the response surface methodology (RSM) based Box-Behnken design (BBD). The optimal conditions for maximum removal of Ni(II) were pH 8, time 65 min, adsorbent dose 0.3 mg/l and Ni(II) concentration 50 mg/l. The maximum removal efficiency under optimized conditions was >94%. The results indicate that BBD could be used to optimize experimental conditions for metal removal from aqueous solution.