Electrospun Chitosan Nanofiber Membrane for Adsorption of Cu(II) from Aqueous Solution: Fabrication, Characterization and Performance.

The preparation, characterization and application of chitosan (CS) based electrospun nanofiber membrane for the adsorptive removal of Cu(II) from water were systematically investigated. Homogeneous, porous polyvinyl alcohol (PVA)/CS nanofiber membrane with amorphous structure, and average fiber diameter of 49 nm was successfully fabricated. The adsorption of Cu(II) onto the positively charged PVA/CS nanofiber membrane (pH < 6) was due to chemisorption rather than electrostatic adherence, and was highly pH-dependent.