Abstract
Nanosized zirconium phosphate and nano fibrous cerium phosphate , Zr(HPO4)2.H2O(nZrP) , Ce(HPO4)2.2.9H2O (nCePf), respectively, were prepared and characterized. Mixing slurry aqueous solution of (nZrP and nCePf ) in 25:75 wt/wt% mixing ratios) , respectively, lead to formation of novel zirconium phosphate- fibrous cerium phosphate nanocomposite membrane, [Zr(HPO4)2]0.25[Ce(HPO4)2]0.75.3.87H2O(nZrP-nCePf), was characterized. Zirconium phosphate-fibrous cerium phosphate/ polybenzimidazole- /polybenzimidazolee-co-polyaniline- /polybenzimidazole-co polypyrrole-/polybenzimidazole-co-polyindole nanocomposite membranes were prepared via in-situ chemical oxidation polymerization of the benzimidazole, and its co-monomers in alcohol, that was promoted by the reduction of Ce(iv) ions present in the inorganic matrix of (nZrP-nCePf ) nanocomposite membrane. A possible explanation is nCePf , present on the surface of composite membrane, is attacked by benzimidazole and its co-monomers , converted to cerium(III) orthophosphate(CePO4). The resultant materials were characterized by elemental (C,H,N) analysis , FT-IR, and scanning electron microscopy(SEM) .. SEM images of the resulting nanocomposites reveal a uniform distribution of the polybenzimidazole and its co-polymers on the inorganic matrix. From elemental (C,H,N) analysis the amount of organic material (PBI) present in (nZrP-nCePf)/PBI composite found to be = 5.7% in wt.. T.he amount of organic materials present in copolymers found to be for (nZrP-nCePf)/PBI-co-PANI (PBI = 9.33%, PANI= 13.32% in wt)., for (nZrP-nCePf) /PBI -co-PPy (PBI = 12.85%, PPy = 7.1% in wt) , and for (nZrP nCePf) /PBI-co-PIn ( PBI = 16.47% , PIn = 8.81% in wt). Keywords: Zirconium phosphate; Cerium phosphate; Nanocomposite membrane; Self support polymerization; Benzimidazole-; Its co-aniline; Co-pyrrole and co-indole