Preparation of dicyandiamide modified polystyrene resin beads decorated with nano‐Fe3O4 for removing Hg(II) from aqueous solution

In this study, dicyandiamide (DCDA) modified polystyrene (PS) resin beads decorated with nano‐Fe3O4 (Fe3O4‐PS‐DCDA hybrids) were prepared by co‐precipitation method. The Fe3O4‐PS‐DCDA hybrids were characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Fourier transform‐infrared (FT‐IR) spectroscopy, X‐ray diffraction (XRD) spectroscopy, X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), nitrogen adsorption/desorption isotherms, and vibrating sample magnetometer (VSM). Meanwhile, the adsorption property of Fe3O4‐PS‐DCDA hybrids for Hg(II) in aqueous solution was investigated by batch methods. The results show that the nano‐Fe3O4 decorated on the outer surface and interior of DCDA modified PS resin beads (PS‐DCDA) is nanoparticles and nanorods, respectively. The saturation magnetization (Ms) of the Fe3O4‐PS‐DCDA hybrids is 0.70 emu/g, which is enough to ensure the convenient magnetic separation. The adsorption kinetics of the hybrids for Hg(II) accorded with the pseudo‐second‐order model and the adsorption isotherms followed the Freundlich equation. POLYM. COMPOS., 39:2232–2240, 2018. © 2016 Society of Plastics Engineers