**Author details**

*Trace Metals in the Environment - New Approaches and Recent Advances*

This chapter encompasses the work done on PANI nanocomposites/nanostructures for the removal of heavy metal ions and dyes from aqueous solution. Adsorption technology was widely studied due to its flexibility in design and operational simplicity. The use of PANI nanocomposites as adsorbents has been investigated for adsorption of pollutants owing to their inherent properties such as high surface area, environmental stability, easy preparation and good water dispersion. The literature showed that a variety of morphological structures can be obtained, which depend strongly on the method of synthesis, and thus have various effects on the adsorption of the pollutant. For example, PANI based nanocomposites and nanostructures are preferable prepared via in-situ polymerisation. It was demonstrated that the pH, contact time, temperature, adsorbent dosage, concentration, nature of adsorbent and the presence of competing ions have an influence on the removal efficiency of nanocomposites. Hence, optimisation of adsorption parameters has been studied for the removal of heavy metals such Cr(VI), Hg(II), As(V), Co(II) and dyes such as CR, MB, MO, MG and RB5 from wastewater using various PANI nanocomposites and nanostructures. Overall, these nanocomposites display improved removal efficiency towards heavy metals and dyes adsorption. Hence, data in this chapter provides insight into PANI based materials for potential use as economically valuable adsorbents for the removal of dyes and heavy metals

KDM and MJH greatly acknowledge the financial support from the National

Research Foundation (NRF) (Grant Nos. 117727 and 118113), Sasol Inzalo

Foundation and University of Limpopo, South Africa.

We declare that there is no conflict of interest.

**6. Conclusions**

ions from wastewater.

**Acknowledgements**

**Conflict of interest**

**156**

Thabiso C. Maponya1,2, Mpitloane J. Hato1,3\*, Thabang R. Somo1 , Kabelo E. Ramohlola1 , Mogwasha D. Makhafola1 , Gobeng R. Monama1 , Arjun Maity2 , Kwena D. Modibane1 \* and Lebogang M. Katata-Seru4

1 Department of Chemistry, School of Physical and Mineral Sciences, University of Limpopo (Turfloop), Sovenga, Polokwane, South Africa

2 DST/CSIR Innovation Centre, National Centre for Nanostructured Materials, CSIR Materials Science and Manufacturing, Pretoria, South Africa

3 Department of Environmental Sciences, College of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences, University of South Africa (UNISA), Florida Science Campus, Johannesburg, South Africa

4 Department of Chemistry, School of Physical and Chemical Sciences, North West University, Mmabatho, South Africa

\*Address all correspondence to: mpitloane.hato@ul.ac.za and kwena.modibane@ul.ac.za

© 2019 The Author(s). Licensee IntechOpen. This chapter is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/ by/3.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
