“Flower-Like” PA6@Mg(OH)2 electrospun nanofibers with Cr (VI)-removal capacity

Abstract Hexavalent chromium (Cr (VI)) is a kind of high toxic pollutant which is harmful to marine organisms as well as humanity. Removal of Cr (VI) from water is a hot-spot in environmental remediation. In this work, PA6@Mg(OH) 2 composite nanofibrous membrane was fabricated by electrospinning technique combined with hydrothermal strategy. The as-prepared nanofibrous membrane possesses a flower-like structure of which endows not only novel morphology but also increase the specific surface area of electrospun fibers. Owing to the 2D flower-like structure of which increase the specific surface area of the nanofibers, the Cr (VI) adsorption capacity from water can be as high as 296.4 mg per gram of nanofibrous membrane (when the concentration of Cr (VI) is 110 mg/g), which is much higher than the most ever reported research results. Meanwhile, the freestanding membrane can be easily separated from liquid solutions and shows excellent cyclic utilization performance. Therefore, such novel flower-like nanofibrous membrane can be potentially widely used in environmental remediation.