PES/SiO 2 nanocomposite by in situ polymerization: Synthesis, structure, properties, and new applications

SiO 2 nanoparticles of a quantum size (15 nm or less) were prepared via sol–gel method using tetraethylorthosilicate as a precursor. SiO 2 nanoparticles were characterized by X‐ray diffraction (XRD) and field‐emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM) analyses. Polyethersulfone/silica (PES/SiO 2 ) crystal structure nanocomposite was prepared by in situ polymerization using silica nanoparticles as reinforcement filler. The polymerization reaction was done at 160°C in paraffin bath in the presence of diphenolic monomers. XRD and FESEM analyses were used to study the morphology of the synthesized nanocomposite. The purity and thermal property of the PES/SiO 2 nanocomposite were studied by energy dispersion of X‐ray analysis and differential scanning calorimetry, respectively. The effect of silica particles on the hydrophilicity of PES/SiO 2 nanocomposite was also investigated. It was showed that the PES/SiO 2 nanocomposite had a higher swelling degree when compared with the pure PES. The synthesized PES/SiO 2 powder was used to remove Cu(II) ions from its aqueous solution. The effect of experimental conditions such as pH, shaking time, and sorbent mass on adsorption capacity of PES/SiO 2 nanocomposite were investigated. It was found that incorporation of a low amount of silica (2 wt%) into the polymer matrix caused the increase of the Cu(II) ions adsorption capacity of PES. POLYM. COMPOS., 2012. © 2012 Society of Plastics Engineers