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Multifunctional magnetic branched polyethylenimine nanogels with in-situ generated Fe3O4 and their applications as dye adsorbent and catalyst support

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Abstract

A series of novel magnetic branched polyethylenimine nanogels (Fe3O4/bPEI) was prepared via the combination of crosslinking branched polyethylenimine to form a nanogel and in-situ generation of Fe3O4 on its surface. Morphologies and magnetic properties of the Fe3O4/bPEI nanocomposites could be easily controlled by regulating the ratio between branched polyethylenimine nanogel and Fe3O4 precursor. The nanocomposites could be applied as efficient and selective dye adsorbents for the removal of Congo red under different pH values or in the presence of methylene blue. Furthermore, it could also be applied as catalyst support for the loading of palladium to afford a novel Pd-Fe3O4/bPEI nanocomposite, which exhibited good catalytic activity in the reduction of nitrophenols using NaBH4 as the reducing agent. Particularly, this nanocomposite could be easily separated by an external magnetic field and recycled ten times without appreciable loss of its initial catalytic activity. The synergistic integration of nanogel and magnetic Fe3O4 nanoparticles makes Fe3O4/bPEI to be a versatile platform for multiple applications.

Graphical Abstract

Magnetically recyclable polyethylenimine nanogels (Fe3O4/bPEI), prepared with in-situ generated Fe3O4, can serve as excellent dye adsorbent and catalyst support.

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Acknowledgements

The authors thank Professor Gang Ma for his kind help. Financial support by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (21376060), the Natural Science Foundation of Hebei Province (B2014201024), and the Youth Foundation of Hebei Educational Committee (QN2014069) is gratefully acknowledged.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Key Laboratory of Chemical Biology of Hebei Province, College of Chemistry and Environmental Science, Hebei University, Baoding, 071002, Hebei, People’s Republic of China

    Xin Wen, Xianliang Qiao, Xue Han, Libo Niu, Li Huo & Guoyi Bai

  2. Hebei Chemical and Pharmaceutical College, Shijiazhuang, 050026, Hebei, People’s Republic of China

    Xin Wen

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  1. Xin Wen
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  2. Xianliang Qiao
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  3. Xue Han
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Correspondence to Guoyi Bai.

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10853_2015_9627_MOESM1_ESM.docx

TEM image and photograph of magnetic separation of the comparative sample of Fe3O4(2)/bPEI; TEM image and photograph of magnetic separation of Fe3O4(2)-bPEI; FTIR analysis of bPEI-HCl nanogel; TEM image and the size distribution of pure Fe3O4 (inset); UV–vis spectra of the mixture solution of dyes before and after adsorption; TEM, STEM, and HAADF-STEM images of Pd-Fe3O4(2)/bPEI with elemental mappings; XRD pattern of Pd-Fe3O4(2)/bPEI; photograph of the solution of 4-NP before and after reduction. Supplementary material 1 (DOCX 8831 kb)

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Wen, X., Qiao, X., Han, X. et al. Multifunctional magnetic branched polyethylenimine nanogels with in-situ generated Fe3O4 and their applications as dye adsorbent and catalyst support. J Mater Sci 51, 3170–3181 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10853-015-9627-3

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10853-015-9627-3

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