Removal of methylene blue using polyacrylic acid/ octavinyl polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxane nanocomposite

Polyacrylic acid/ octavinyl polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxane, nanocomposite hydrogel with 3-D network was synthesized via radical polymerization. Octavinyl polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxane was used as crosslinker and nanofiller simultaneously in the preparation of the hydrogel. Hydrogel adsorption performance was determined by adsorption of methylene blue. The adsorption capacity was evaluated under the effects of dye concentration, adsorption contact time and medium pH. The experimental data fitted a pseudo-second-order model and isotherm indicated that the data were agreed with the Langmuir model. The high adsorption capacity (Qmax=1000 (mg/g)) shows the better efficiency of the adsorbent and indicates this hydrogel is a good candidate as the adsorbent of cationic dye and ions.