Controllable growth of Ni-La(OH)3 nanotube arrays and their application in wastewater treatment

Ni-La(OH)(3) nanotube arrays have been fabricated in a large scale via a simple electrochemical method without any hard templates and surfactants. The structure and morphology of the as-prepared Ni-La(OH)(3) nanotube were characterized using X-ray diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM) and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS). The FE-SEM and (HR)TEM images indicate that the obtained samples are relatively straight and regular with diameters of 150 nm. The maximum adsorption capacity of the as-prepared products for Congo red is about 96 mg g(-1), suggesting its promising application in removing organic dye from wastewater. Meanwhile, this approach can provide a convenient route to synthesize other nanoarrays. (C) 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.