Preparation and characterization of hydrophilic polydopamine-coated Fe3O4/oxide graphene imprinted nanocomposites for removal of bisphenol A in waters

Bisphenol A (BPA), a known endocrine disruptor, is of global concern because it poses serious threats to the ecological environment and human health. In this work, hydrophilic polydopamine-coated Fe3O4/oxide graphene (IPDA@MGO) magnetic imprinted nanocomposites were prepared by the self-polymerization of dopamine on the surface of Fe3O4/GO in Tris-HCl buffer using BPA as a template for selective adsorption of BPA in water. IPDA@MGO showed specific recognition toward BPA with a high imprinting factor of 3.2 compared with nonimprinted polymer. The capacity of IPDA@MGO toward BPA was 41.2 mg/g and the adsorption reached equilibrium within 30 min. The adsorption agreed well with the Freundlich and pseudo-second order kinetic models. The good adsorption performance was attributed to the abundant binding sites and good dispersibility of IPDA@MGO nanocomposites derived from its excellent hydrophilicity. The nanocomposites could be removed rapidly by an external magnet and regenerated for repeated adsorption of BPA in water. The proposed method has potential applications for efficient removal of BPA in environmental waters.