Synthesis of MWCNT-COOH-Cysteamine composite and its application for dye removal

Multi-walled carbon nanotube functionalized by Cysteamine composite (MWCNT-COOH-Cysteamine) was synthesized using a facile, two-step modification route. At first purification of MWCNT was carried out in H2SO4 and HNO3, the solution earned was treated ultrasonically in order to attain the equilibrium temperature for functionalizing multi walled carbon nanotubes with the carboxylate (MWCNT-COOH). Second step involves the treatment of carboxylate functionalized MWCNTs with the Cysteamine hydrochloride and NHS and DMF and EDC, the mixture was refluxed, which was later on characterized using various analytical techniques such as XRD, FT-IR, FE-SEM and TGA. The adsorption characteristics of MWCNT-COOH-Cysteamine were compared with MWCNT-COOH using Amido black 10B (AB10B) as an adsorbate in the present work. The effects of several influential parameters such as contact time, pH, and initial concentration on the adsorption were well investigated and optimized. The adsorption kinetics data for both MWCNT-COOH-Cysteamine and MWCNT-COOH were found to follow an intra-particle diffusion.