Efficient removal of safranin from aqueous solution using a new type of metalated highly self-doped polyaniline nanocomposite

We report the chemical synthesis of poly(aniline-co-aniline-2,5-disulfonic acid)) and its composite containing L-hexuronic acid and metallic Ag/SiO₂ nanoparticles as a new thermally stable anionic polyelectrolyte for removing safranin dye. The composite was characterized by IR, UV, cyclic voltammetry, SEM, TEM, TGA, DSC, EDXS and elemental analyses. Microscopic images exhibited intensified spherical particles dispersed over almost the entire surface. The XRD exhibited peaks of the partially crystalline material at many 2θ values, and their interatomic spacing and sizes were calculated. The cyclic voltammograms exhibited characteristic redox peaks relative to the quinoid ring transition states. The uptake rates up to 82.5% adsorption were completed within 75 min and the equilibrium time was 45 min. The isotherm of dye adsorption interprets the interaction with the adsorbent and explain the relationship between the dye removal capacity and the initial dye concentration. In the current, the Langmuir isotherm model was the optimum to interpret both the dye/copolymer and the dye/composite interactions. The uptake of safranin by copolymer/SiO₂@Ag nanocomposite was well defined by pseudo second order model with rate constant K₂ = 0.03 g^− 1 mg^− 1 min^− 1 for 19 mg safranin. A comparison of safranin adsorption efficiency of the synthesized material with other reported material in the same domain suggested that the present composite has a higher adsorption rate and capacity. The ongoing research is devoted to improving the removal percentage of the dye by using 1,3,5-triazine based sulfonated polyaniline/Ag@ SiO₂ nanocomposite.