biocompatible and biodegradable chitosan nanospheres were successfully prepared by a simple method in water. The nanospheres were well monodispersed and stable in aqueous solution. The physicochemical properties of nanospheres were investigated by using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy
dynamic light scattering
transmission electron microscope
scanning electron microscopy and zeta potential. It was found that the surface structure and zeta potential of nanospheres can be manipulated by changing pH. The obtained chitosan nanospheres provide the functional sites with abundant functional groups for embedding of other active materials. Thus
the chitosan nanospheres were employed as absorbents for removal of nickel(II) ions from aqueous solutions. The adsorption behaviors of nanospheres were investigated including the effects of adsorption time
pH value
temperature and initial concentration by the batch method. The adsorption capacity of the chitosan nanospheres for nickel(II) ions was observed to be as high as 44.41mg/g. Moreover
the adsorption isotherms obeyed the Freundlich equation
and kinetics followed a pseudo-second order model.