Synthesis of Fe Doped Poly p-Phenylenediamine Composite: Co-Adsorption Application on Toxic Metal Ions (F(−) and As(3+)) and Microbial Disinfection in Aqueous Solution

Water is regarded as an important natural resource to sustain life, and its purification is an important criterion that determines its quality and usefulness. In this study, the incorporation of Fe(3+) oxide onto a phenylenediamine (pPD) polymer matrix through chemical co-polymerization was prepared, and its arsenite and fluoride removal potentials at optimal conditions from aqueous solution were evaluated. The morphology and structural analysis of the synthesized Fe-doped pPD (Fe-pPD) were comparatively evaluated using the FT-IR, SEM, EDS, and XRD techniques. Fe was successfully incorporated onto pPD matrix as confirmed by different morphological characterizations. The rate of adsorption of F(−) and As(3+) onto the Fe-pPD composite best followed the pseudo-second-order kinetic model. The experimental data for both As(3+) and F(−) onto the Fe-pPD composite better fit the Freundlich isotherm model at different operating temperatures. Overall, the synthesized composite exhibited a strong affinity towards fluoride uptake (96.6%) than arsenite uptake (71.14%) with a maximum capacity of 6.79 (F(−)) and 1.86 (As(3+)) mg/g. Additionally, the synthesized adsorbent showed some level of antimicrobial activity against common water-borne bacterial. Therefore, the Fe-doped pPD composite has the potential ability for inorganic metal species pollutants remediation and bacterial disinfection in community-level water purification processes.