Simple preparation and characterization of molecularly imprinted nylon 6 nanofibers for the extraction of bisphenol A from wastewater

Nylon 6 nanofibers incorporated with molecularly imprinted polymers (MIPs) were successfully fabricated by electrospinning with fiber diameters in the range 80–145 nm. Then, they were used as a new material for the extraction of selected bisphenol A (BPA) in water samples. Field emission scanning electron microscopy images revealed that the nanofibers had a smooth morphology with a good incorporation of MIPs. The Fourier transform infrared and energy‐dispersive X‐ray spectroscopy results also confirmed the formation of the MIPs in the nanofibers. Furthermore, Raman spectroscopy showed that the crystalline structure of the pristine nylon 6 nanofiber was a kind of α form, and the incorporation of MIPs led to a γ‐form structure in the nanofibers; this proved the interactions between nylon 6 and the MIPs. Adsorption studies also confirmed that the adsorption efficiency of BPA onto the molecularly imprinted polymer nanofibers (MIP‐NFs; 83.5%) was much greater than that onto nonimprinted polymer nanofibers (NIP‐NFs; 36.8%). Also, the imprinting factor was 3.4; this strongly implied the successful formation of molecularly imprinted cavities on the MIP‐NFs with a strong affinity to BPA. The maximum adsorption capacity of the MIP‐NFs was 103.8 mg/g.