N-halamine modified poly(amidoxime) nanofibrous antibacterial adsorbents for the extraction of copper ions and dyes from aqueous medium

Wastewater with contaminants such as heavy ions, organic dyes, and bacteria is extremely damaging to the environment and human life. In this study, N-halamine modified poly(amidoxime) nanofibrous membranes (PAO-Cl) were prepared using amidoxime-modified polyacrylonitrile (PAN), followed by chlorination. The amidoxime conditions of PAN were investigated, and the micromorphologies of each sample were examined. The durability, water release properties, antibacterial activities, and adsorption properties of the Cu2+ ions and methyl orange(MO) were investigated. The results demonstrated that PAO and PAO-Cl exhibited an adsorption capacity toward Cu2+ ions and MO, respectively. Chlorination of PAO resulted in the loss of Cu2+ ion adsorption properties of PAO-Cl. Nevertheless, PAO-Cl presented a higher MO adsorption capacity than poly(amidoxime) nanofibrous membranes (PAO). When the pH value less than 4, the adsorption properties of PAO-Cl was significantly enhanced, and the adsorption process was optimal, as described by the pseudo-second-order kinetic and Langmuir models. For PAO-Cl, the chemical structure changes and adsorption mechanism toward MO were thoroughly studied. After 5 min of contact time, the chlorinated sample displayed excellent antimicrobial capacities against 100 % of S. aureus (6.2 log) and E. coli O157:H7 (6.0 log), making it a promising candidate for use in water disinfection fields.