Poly(acrylamide/laponite) nanocomposite hydrogels: Swelling and cationic dye adsorption properties

Super adsorbent polyacrylamide (PAAm)/nanoclay (laponite, Lap) hydrogels were prepared by in situ free radical polymerization of AAm in an aqueous solution with clay as a crosslinker. The swelling properties and water‐soluble cationic dye adsorption behaviors of the PAAm/laponite (PAAm/Lap) nanocomposite (NC) hydrogels were investigated. The parameters of swelling and diffusion of water in dye solutions were evaluated for the PAAm/Lap NC hydrogels. The adsorption behavior of the monovalent cationic dyes such as Basic Blue 12 (BB 12), Basic Blue 9 (BB 9), and Basic Violet 1 (BV 1), were studied on the NC hydrogels. The effects of the clay content of the hydrogel on its cationic dye uptake behavior were studied. The adsorption studies indicated that the rates of dye uptake by the NC hydrogels increased in the following order: BB 9 > BB 12 > BV 1. This order is similar to the swelling results of the PAAm/Lap NC hydrogel in the dye solutions. The equilibrium uptakes of the different dyes by the PAAm/Lap NC hydrogel were nearly the same. In the dye absorption studies, S‐type adsorption in the Giles classification system was found for the BB 12 and BV 1 dyes, whereas L ‐type was observed for the BB 9 dye. After the heat treatment of PAAm/Lap, the rate of dye uptake and equilibrium dye uptake were increased. The NC hydrogels may be considered as a good candidate for environmental applications to retain more water and to remove dyes. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2009