Polypyrrole-Coated Magnetite Fe3O4 Nanoparticles Containing an Anthraquinone Crown Ether Macrocycle Used for the Extraction of Cu(II) Ion from Water

Uniform Fe3O4 nanoparticles (NPs) with an average crystallite size of 12 nm were rapidly prepared using a sonochemical route. These NPs were subsequently coated with a crown ether-functionalized polypyrrole polymer. The morphology, structure, and composition of the coated and uncoated NPs were characterized by elemental analyses, transmission electronic microscopy, X-ray powder diffraction, and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. The resultant nanocomposites possess the magnetism of Fe3O4 NPs that make for easy separation by an external magnetic field and show the ability to remove Cu(II) from aqueous solution.