Studies on the adsorption of cell impurities from plasmid-containing lysates to phenyl boronic acid chromatographic beads

Plasmid DNA (pDNA) is purified directly from alkaline lysis-derived Escherichia coli (E. coli) lysates by phenyl boronate (PB) chromatography. The method explores the ability of PB ligands to bind covalently, but reversibly, to cis-diol-containing impurities like RNA and lipopolysaccharides (LPS), leaving pDNA in solution. In spite of this specificity, cis-diol free species like proteins and genomic DNA (gDNA) are also removed. This is a major advantage since the process is designed to keep the target pDNA from binding. The focus of this paper is on the study of the secondary interactions between the impurities (RNA, gDNA, proteins, LPS) in a pDNA-containing lysate and 3-amino PB controlled pore glass (CPG) matrices. Runs were designed to evaluate the role of adsorption buffer composition, feed type (pH, salt content), CPG matrix and sample pretreatment (RNase A, isopropanol precipitation). Water was chosen as the adsorption buffer over MgCl(2) solutions since it maximised pDNA yield (96.2±4.9%) and protein removal (61.3±3.0%), while providing for a substantial removal of RNA (65.5±3.5%) and gDNA (44.7±14.1%). Although the use of pH 3.5 maximised removal of impurities (~75%), the best compromise between plasmid yield (~96%) and RNA clearance (~60-70%) was obtained for a pH of 5.2. Plasmid yield was maximal (>96%) when the concentration of acetate and potassium ions in the incoming lysate feed were 1.7 M and 1.0 M, respectively. The pre-treatment of lysates with RNase A deteriorated the performance since the resulting oligoribonucleotides lack the cis-diol group at their 3' termini. Overall, the results support the idea that charge transfer interactions between the boron atom at acidic pH and electron donor groups in the aromatic bases of nucleic acids and side residues of proteins are responsible for the non-specific removal of gDNA, RNA and proteins.     

Influence of hydrolyzable metal ions on the interfacial chemistry, particle interactions, and dewatering behavior of kaolinite dispersions

The influence of hydrolyzable metal ions (Mn(II) and Ca(II)) adsorption on the surface chemistry, particle interactions, flocculation, and dewatering behavior of kaolinite dispersions has been investigated at pH 7.5 and 10.5. Metal ion adsorption was strongly cation type- and pH-dependent and significantly influenced the zeta potential, anionic polyacrylamide-acrylate flocculant (PAM) adsorption, shear yield stress, settling rate, and consolidation of kaolinite slurries. The presence of Mn(II) and Ca(II) ions alone led to a systematic reduction in zeta potential due to specific adsorption of positively charged metal ion-based hydrolysis products at the kaolinite-water interface. Metal ion-mediated zeta potential changes were reflected by lower dispersion shear yield stresses and improved clarification (higher settling rates) but had no detectable effect on dispersion consolidation. The adsorption of PAM was significantly improved by prior addition of the metal ions. In the presence of Mn(II) or Ca(II) ions, the flocculant adsorption density was enhanced at pH 7.5 for Mn(II) and pH 10.5 for Ca(II). Optimum flocculation conditions, involving partial rather than complete particle surface coverage by both metal ions and flocculant, were identified. As a consequence, the metal ions and flocculant acted synergistically to enhance dewatering, producing particle interactions that were more conducive to high settling rates and greater consolidation of kaolinite dispersions at pH 7.5 than 10.5.     

Interaction of 2-Amino-, 3-Amino-, and 4-Aminopyridines with Chromium and Manganese Ferrocyanides

The present investigation deals with the interaction of 2-aminopyridine, 3-aminopyridine, and 4-aminopyridine with chromium and manganese ferrocyanides. Chromium ferrocyanide possesses better adsorbing properties than manganese ferrocyanide. Maximum uptake was observed at neutral pH (pH 7.0). The adsorption data obtained at neutral pH are fitted in a Langmuir adsorption isotherm. The adsorption behavior of the aminopyridines studied follows the order 3-aminopyridine >4-aminopyridine >2-aminopyridine. The infrared spectral studies of adsorption adducts indicate that adsorption takes place through interactions between the adsorbate molecule and the outer divalent metal ion of metal ferrocyanides. From these studies, it is clear that metal ferrocyanides and metal ions play a major role in the stabilization of organic molecules through their surface activity in the prebiotic environment. Copyright 2000 Academic Press.     

Selective adsorption of poly-His tagged glutaryl acylase on tailor-made metal chelate supports.

A poly-His tag was fused in the glutaryl acylase (GA) from Acinetobacter sp. strain YS114 cloned in E. coli yielding a fully active enzyme. Biochemical analyses showed that the tag did not alter the maturation of the chimeric GA (poly-His GA) that undergoes a complex post-translational processing from an inactive monomeric precursor to the active heterodimeric enzyme. This enzyme has been used as a model to develop a novel and very simple procedure for one-step purification of poly-His proteins via immobilized metal-ion affinity chromatography on tailor-made supports. It was intended to improve the selectivity of adsorption of the target protein on tailor-made chelate supports instead of performing a selective desorption. The rate and extent of the adsorption of proteins from a crude extract from E. coli and of pure poly-His tagged GA on different metal chelate supports was studied. Up to 90% of proteins from E. coli were adsorbed on commercial chelate supports having a high density of ligands attached to the support through long spacer arms, while this adsorption becomes almost negligible when using low ligand densities, short spacer arms and Zn2+ or Co2+ as cations. On the contrary, poly-His GA adsorbs strongly enough on all supports. A strong affinity interaction between the poly-His tail and a single chelate moiety seems to be the responsible for the adsorption of poly-His GA. By contrast, multipoint weak interactions involving a number of chelate moieties seem to be mainly responsible for adsorption of natural proteins. By using tailor-made affinity supports, a very simple procedure for one-step purification of GA with minimal adsorption of host proteins could be performed. Up to 20 mg of GA were adsorbed on each ml of chelate support while most of accompanying proteins were hardly adsorbed on such supports. Following few washing steps, the target enzyme was finally recovered (80% yield) by elution with 50 mM imidazole with a very high increment of specific activity (up to a 120 purification factor).     

New alpha-amino phenylalanine tetrazole ligand for immobilized metal affinity chromatography of proteins

A new chelating compound has been developed for use in the immobilized metal affinity chromatographic (IMAC) separation of proteins. The bidentate ligand, alpha-amino phenylalanine tetrazole, 4, was synthesized via a five-step synthesis from N-fluorenylmethoxycarbonyl phenylalanine and then immobilized onto silica through the epoxide coupling procedure. The binding behavior of the resulting IMAC sorbent, following chelation with Zn2+ to a density of 183 micromol Zn2+ ions/g silica, was characterized by the retention of proteins in the pH range of 5.0-8.0, and by the adsorption behavior of lysozyme with frontal chromatography at pH 6.0 and 8.0. The prepared column showed the separation ability to four test proteins and the retention time of these proteins increased with an increase in pH. From the derived isotherms, the adsorption capacity, qm, for the binding of lysozyme to immobilized Zn2+-alpha-amino phenylalanine tetrazole-silica was found to be 1.21 micromol/g at pH 6.0 and 1.20 micromol/g sorbent at pH 8.0, respectively, whilst the dissociation constants KD at these pH values were 5.22x10(-6) and 3.49x10(-6) M, respectively, indicating that the lysozyme was retained more stable under alkaline conditions, although the binding capacity in terms of micromole protein per gram sorbent remained essentially unchanged.     

Modeling manganese removal in chelating polymer-assisted membrane separation systems for water treatment

The removal of manganese from groundwater, using water-soluble chelating polymers such as polyacrylic acid (PAA) in combination with ultrafiltration (UF), was investigated. The effects of the solution pH and polymer dosages on the manganese removal were evaluated, and the removal efficiency was modeled considering the relevant chemical equilibria. In the absence of polymer, manganese removal with UF membranes alone was negligible at acidic pH values, but the removal increased substantially when polyacrylic acid (PAA) was added to the feed solution. The increase can be attributed to the formation of Mn²⁺–PAA chelates which are rejected by the membranes. A mathematical model was developed to explain this phenomenon based on chemical equilibria, including complex formation and precipitation. The chelation number (i.e., the number of carboxyl groups in the PAA binding to a single metal ion) and the equilibrium constants for metal–PAA chelation reactions were obtained by fitting experimental data at acidic pH in single-divalent metal systems. The model was able to predict Mn removal in chelation/UF systems at various pH levels and polymer dosages, and to account for the competitive interactions of PAA with the target (Mn²⁺) and background species (Ca²⁺, Mg²⁺) in multi-component systems. The predicted Mn removal efficiency was most sensitive to the chelation number.     

K~+、Na~+、Ca~(2+)、Mg~(2+)对胜利褐煤平衡复吸水的影响

以胜利褐煤为研究对象,利用FT-IR等手段,用灰分、不同湿度下的平衡复吸水含量等,系统研究了不同相对湿度下K+、Na+、Ca2+、Mg2+的水合作用对胜利褐煤平衡复吸水含量的影响。结果表明,相同浓度不同类型的金属离子与煤样的交换能力的趋势为Ca2+Na+K+Mg2+。金属离子对胜利褐煤平衡复吸水含量影响力的顺序为Mg2+Ca2+Na+≈K+。相对湿度高时,平衡复吸水含量的主要控制因素为游离水分子之间的分子作用力;相对湿度中等时,平衡复吸水含量的主要控制因素为金属水簇与毛细管之间的毛细管作用力;相对湿度低时,平衡复吸水含量的主要控制因素为金属离子的水合作用。     

Protein-associated water and secondary structure effect removal of blood proteins from metallic substrates

Removing adsorbed protein from metals has significant health and industrial consequences. There are numerous protein-adsorption studies using model self-assembled monolayers or polymeric substrates but hardly any high-resolution measurements of adsorption and removal of proteins on industrially relevant transition metals. Surgeons and ship owners desire clean metal surfaces to reduce transmission of disease via surgical instruments and minimize surface fouling (to reduce friction and corrosion), respectively. A major finding of this work is that, besides hydrophobic interaction adhesion energy, water content in an adsorbed protein layer and secondary structure of proteins determined the access and hence ability to remove adsorbed proteins from metal surfaces with a strong alkaline-surfactant solution (NaOH and 5 mg/mL SDS in PBS at pH 11). This is demonstrated with three blood proteins (bovine serum albumin, immunoglobulin, and fibrinogen) and four transition metal substrates and stainless steel (platinum (Pt), gold (Au), tungsten (W), titanium (Ti), and 316 grade stainless steel (SS)). All the metallic substrates were checked for chemical contaminations like carbon and sulfur and were characterized using X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). While Pt and Au surfaces were oxide-free (fairly inert elements), W, Ti, and SS substrates were associated with native oxide. Difference measurements between a quartz crystal microbalance with dissipation (QCM-D) and surface plasmon resonance spectroscopy (SPR) provided a measure of the water content in the protein-adsorbed layers. Hydrophobic adhesion forces, obtained with atomic force microscopy, between the proteins and the metals correlated with the amount of the adsorbed protein-water complex. Thus, the amount of protein adsorbed decreased with Pt, Au, W, Ti and SS, in this order. Neither sessile contact angle nor surface roughness of the metal substrates was useful as predictors here. All three globular proteins behaved similarly on addition of the alkaline-surfactant cleaning solution, in that platinum and gold exhibited an increase, while tungsten, titanium, and stainless steel showed a decrease in weight. According to dissipation measurements with the QCM-D, the adsorbed layer for platinum and gold was rigid, while that for the tungsten, titanium, and stainless steel was much more flexible. The removal efficiency of adsorbed-protein by alkaline solution of SDS depended on the water content of the adsorbed layers for W, Ti, and SS, while for Pt and Au, it depended on secondary structural content. When protein adsorption was high (Pt, Au), protein-protein interactions and protein-surface interactions were dominant and the removal of protein layers was limited. Water content of the adsorbed protein layer was the determining factor for how efficiently the layer was removed by alkaline SDS when protein adsorption was low. Hence, protein-protein and protein-surface interactions were minimal and protein structure was less perturbed in comparison with those for high protein adsorption. Secondary structural content determined the efficient removal of adsorbed protein for high adsorbed amount.     

Cellulose/chitosan composites prepared in ethylene diamine/potassium thiocyanate for adsorption of heavy metal ions

Cellulose/chitosan composites were successfully prepared in a new and basic-based solvent system, ethylene diamine/potassium thiocyanate (EDA/KSCN), by dissolving cellulose and chitosan in 70/30 (w/w) EDA/KSCN at ?19 °C, and then coagulating in methanol. Wide angle X-ray diffraction studies revealed that the EDA/KSCN solvent system is capable of disrupting the hydrogen bonds in both cellulose and chitosan and increase the amorphous regions. Stability tests proved that the composites are stable in acidic aqueous solution due to the hydrogen bonds formed between cellulose and chitosan. This is the first time to dissolve chitosan in a basic-based solvent system and prepare cellulose/chitosan composites in a straightforward way. The adsorption of heavy metal ions (Cu²⁺, Cd²⁺, and Pb²⁺) onto the cellulose/chitosan composites was investigated. The adsorption capacity is highly dependent on pH and the maximum metal uptake was obtained at pH 5.0. Increasing initial metal concentration enhanced the diffusion of metal ions to the composite surface and therefore the metal removal efficiency. Higher percentage of chitosan in the composites also led to higher metal adsorption. The results indicated that the prepared cellulose/chitosan (1:1) composite can adsorb 0.53 mmol/g Cu²⁺, 0.28 mmol/g Cd²⁺ and 0.16 mmol/g Pb²⁺ ions at pH 5.0. The Freundlich model and the pseudo-second-order model were in good agreement with the adsorption isotherms and kinetics, respectively. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy studies indicated that the binding of heavy metal ions is attributed to the nitrogen atoms of amino groups in chitosan. The composites can be reused for metal removal.     

Coagulation of bitumen with kaolinite in aqueous solutions containing Ca2+, Mg2+ and Fe3+: effect of citric acid

Heterocoagulation experiments of kaolinite with solvent-diluted-bitumen were carried out to investigate the effect of hydrolyzable metal cations and citric acid on the liberation of bitumen from kaolinite. The adsorption of Ca(2+) and Mg(2+) on kaolinite, and zeta potentials of kaolinite and bitumen droplets in solutions containing 10(-3)mol/L of Ca(2+), Mg(2+) and Fe(3+) with or without citric acid were also measured. It was found that the heterocoagulation of bitumen with kaolinite was enhanced in the presence of the metal cations from pH 7 to pH 10.5, accompanied by a decrease in the magnitude of the zeta potentials and an increase in the adsorption of the metal cations on kaolinite and possibly on bitumen droplets. The addition of 5 x 10(-4)mol/L citric acid reduced the degree of coagulation from 90% to less than 40% in the presence of 10(-3)mol/L Ca(2+) and Mg(2+) cations at pH approximately 10, and at pH approximately 8 for Fe(3+). It was found that hydrolyzable metal cations enhanced bitumen-kaolinite interactions through electrical double layer compression and specific adsorption of the metal hydrolysis species on the surface of kaolinite. The effect of metal cations was removed by citric acid through formation of metal-citrate complexes and/or the adsorption of citrate anions, which restored the zeta potentials of both kaolinite and bitumen. Therefore, electrostatic attraction or repulsion was responsible for the coagulation or dispersion of kaolinite particles from bitumen droplets in the tested system.     

Novel Fe3O4/hydroxyapatite/β‐cyclodextrin nanocomposite adsorbent: Synthesis and application in heavy metal removal from aqueous solution

The increased global concern on environmental protection has made researchers focus their attention on new and more efficient methods of pollutant removal. In this research, novel nanocomposite adsorbents,i.e., magnetic hydroxyapatite (Fe₃O₄@HA) and magnetic hydroxyapatite β‐cyclodextrin (Fe₃O₄@HA‐CD) were synthesized and used for heavy metal removal. The adsorbents were characterized by FTIR, XRD, TGA, VSM, and SEM. In order to investigate the effect of β‐cyclodextrin (β‐CD) removal efficiency, adsorption results of nine metal ions were compared for both adsorbents. β‐CD showed the most increasing effect for Cd²⁺ and Cu²⁺ removal, so these two ions were selected for further studies. The effect of diverse parameters including pH, contact time, initial metal ion concentration and adsorbent dosage on the adsorption process was discussed. The optimum pH was 6 and adsorption equilibrium was achieved after 1 hr. Adsorption kinetic data were well fitted by pseudo‐second‐order model proposing that metal ions were adsorbed via chemical reaction. Adsorption isotherm was best described by the Langmuir model, and maximum adsorption capacity for Cd²⁺ and Cu²⁺ was 100.00 and 66.66 (mg/g), respectively. Desorption experiment was also done, and the most efficient eluent used for desorption of metal ions was EDTA (0.001 M) with 91% and 88% of Cd²⁺ and Cu²⁺ release, respectively. Recyclability studies also showed a 19% decrease in the adsorption capacity of the adsorbent after five cycles of regeneration. Therefore, the synthesized adsorbents were recognized as potential candidates for heavy metal adsorption applications.     

Simultaneous removal of ammonium and phosphate by zeolite synthesized from fly ash as influenced by salt treatment

To develop an effective technique for enhancing the removal efficiency of ammonium and phosphate at low concentrations without losing potential removal capacity, Na-ZFA (zeolite synthesized from fly ash) was converted into Ca-, Mg-, Al-, and Fe-ZFA by salt treatment and the simultaneous removal of ammonium and phosphate by ZFA saturated with different cations was investigated. It was shown that Al3+-ZFA had the highest removal efficiencies (80-98%) for ammonium, followed by Mg2+ (43-58%), Ca2+ (40-54%), Na+ (<20%), and Fe3+ (<1%). Both alkaline pH values (in the cases of Na+, Ca2+, Mg2+) and acidic pH value (in the case of Fe3+) inhibited the sequestration of ammonium. At low initial phosphate concentrations, the efficiency of phosphate removal by Al3+- and Fe3+-ZFA approached 100%, followed by Ca2+ (60-85%), Na+ (<25%), and Mg2+ (<5%). The difference in phosphate removal efficiency was explained by the adsorption mechanisms. It was concluded that ZFA could be used in simultaneous removal of NH4+ and phosphate at low concentrations with presaturation by an appropriate cation such as Al3+ through salt treatment.     

VOCs在吸附剂上吸附性能的热力学研究

采用色谱法与热重(TG)法,测量了正己烷、甲苯和乙酸乙酯在活性炭、5A、NaY、13X、ZSM-5 (SiO_2/Al_2O_3=27、300)、Hβ以及M CM-41等吸附剂上不同温度下的吸脱附行为,并基于反相气相色谱法测得的数据,计算了其吸附热力学参数ΔH、ΔS和ΔG,分析了上述VOCs分子与吸附剂之间的作用机制,并借助FT-IR验证了吸附质在分子筛表面的吸附机制。结果表明,上述吸附过程存在物理吸附和化学吸附两种方式,其中,物理吸附的作用力大小与吸附剂的孔径分布和分子直径相关,而化学吸附的作用力大小依赖于分子筛硅铝比和Ca~(2+)、Na~+、H~+等阳离子及吸附质分子的偶极矩,且强的化学吸附使得部分吸附质分子的脱附温度高于200℃。     

Sensitive Detection of Small Molecule–Protein Interactions on a Metal–Insulator–Metal Label‐Free Biosensing Platform

The need to develop label‐free biosensing devices that enable rapid analyses of interactions between small molecules/peptides and proteins for post‐genomic studies has increased significantly. We report a simple metal–insulator–metal (MIM) geometry for fabricating a highly sensitive detection platform for biosensing. MIM substrates consisting of an Au–PMMA–Ag nanolayer were extensively studied using both theoretical and experimental approaches. By monitoring reflectivity changes at the normal incidence angle, we observed molecular interactions as the thickness of the biolayer increased on the substrate surface. These interactions included the adsorption of various proteins (Mw=6–150 kD) and interactions between small molecules (Mw≤2 kD) and the immobilized proteins. The interaction of designed monosaccharide‐modified designed peptides with various lectins was also clearly detected. These interactions could not be detected by the conventional Au‐only substrate. Thus, the MIM approach affords a powerful label‐free biosensing device that will aid our understanding of protein interactions and recognition.     

废轮胎回转窑中试热解炭的重金属离子吸附特性

对废轮胎回转窑中试热解炭的重金属离子Pb2＋、Cr3＋和Cr6＋吸附特性进行了研究，分析了溶液pH值、接触时间、吸附剂用量以及溶液初始浓度对重金属去除率的影响。结果表明，溶液pH值对热解炭的重金属去除率有显著影响，阳离子Pb2＋、Cr3＋的去除率随pH的增加而增大，在弱酸和中性环境中去除率接近100％；Cr6＋在强酸性溶液中被还原成为Cr3＋，经二次吸附，总Cr去除率可达99％以上；Pb2＋和Cr3＋的去除率随热解炭用量和吸附时间的增大而增加，热解炭用量和吸附时间有一个最佳值。Pb2＋和Cr3＋的吸附为单分子层吸附，可用Langnuir和两段Freundlich等温吸附式描述，Freundlich拟合指数表明，热解炭具有较好的吸附性能。经酸洗后的热解炭对Pb2＋的去除率变低。     

Cd2+和Ni2+在粉煤灰上的吸附特性

考察了粉煤灰对Cd2+和Ni2+的单组分吸附和双组分吸附性能。结果表明,粉煤灰可有效吸附水溶液中的Cd2+和Ni2+,去除率随pH升高而增加。吸附约60min后趋于平衡。粉煤灰对Ni2+的吸附容量高于Cd2+。单组分吸附平衡符合Freundlich模型和Redlich Peterson (R P)模型。双组分吸附时,Ni2+和Cd2+之间存在明显的竞争吸附效应;随干扰离子浓度升高,竞争吸附效应增强。不同模型拟合结果表明,双组分吸附平衡符合Freundlich竞争吸附模型。脱附实验表明,Cd2+比Ni2+易于脱附;0.1mol/L HCl、0.1mol/L HNO3 和0.05mol/L H2SO4的脱附效果接近,对Cd2+脱附率>60%,对Ni2+脱附率>35%。     

Purification of L-Lysine in Simulated Moving Bed and Fixed-Bed Chromatography

 L-Lysine was produced by a microbial process utilizing a Corynebacterium glutamicum (ATCC 21799) strain. L-Lysine was purified from the cultivated medium by fixed-bed and simulated moving bed （SMB） chromatography. The separation conditions including pH, eluent concentration and Lys+ and Lys2+ adsorption isotherms were studied in batch adsorption. The column capacity, eluent flow rate and eluent concentration have been studied in fixed-bed chromatography. Maximum purification rate of lysine was obtained as 0.066 g/(g·h) (per gram resin and per hour) at an eluent flow rate of 10 mL/min in fixed-bed chromatography. The results obtained from SMB were 0.11 g/(g·h) for L-lysine purification rate and 96% for L-lysine recovery.     

Factors governing the metal coordination number in isolated group IA and IIA metal hydrates

Many of the group IA and IIA metal ions, such as Na+, K+, Mg2+, and Ca2+, play crucial roles in biological functions. Previous theoretical studies generally focus on the number of water molecules bound to a particular (as opposed to all) alkali or alkaline earth cations and could not establish a single preferred CN for the heavier alkali and alkaline earth ion-water complexes. Crystal structures of hydrated Na+, K+, and Rb+ also cannot establish the preferred number of inner-shell water molecules bound to these cations. Consequently, it is unclear if the gas-phase CNs of group IA metal hydrates increase with increasing ion size, as observed for the group IIA series from the Cambridge Structural Database, and if the same factors govern the gas-phase CNs of both group IA and IIA ion-water complexes. Thus, in this work, we determine the number of water molecules directly bound to the series of alkali (Li+, Na+, K+, and Rb+) and alkaline earth (Be2+, Mg2+, Ca2+, Sr2+, and Ba2+) metal ions in the gas phase by computing the free energy for forming an isolated metal-aqua complex as a function of the number of water molecules at 298 K. The preferred gas-phase CNs of group IA hydrates appear insensitive to the ion size; they are all 4, except for Rb+, where a CN of 6 seems as likely. In contrast, the preferred gas-phase CNs of the group IIA dications increase with increasing ion size; they are 4 for Be2+, 6 for Mg2+ and Ca2+, and 7 for Sr2+ and Ba2+. An entropic penalty disfavors a gas-phase CN greater than 4 for group IA hydrates, but it does not dictate the gas-phase CNs of group IIA hydrates. Instead, interactions between the metal ion and first-shell water molecules and between first-shell and second-shell water molecules govern the preferred gas-phase CNs of the group IIA metal hydrates.     

Phosphorylated polyacrylonitrile‐based electrospun nanofibers for removal of heavy metal ions from aqueous solution

The phosphorylated polyacrylonitrile‐based (P‐PAN) nanofibers were prepared by electrospinning technique and used for removal of Cu²⁺, Ni²⁺, Cd²⁺, and Ag⁺ from aqueous solution. The morphological and structural properties of P‐PAN nanofibers were characterized by scanning electron microscope and Fourie transform infrared spectra. The P‐PAN nanofibers were evaluated for the adsorption capacity at various pH, contact time, and reaction temperature in a batch system. The reusability of P‐PAN nanofibers for the removal of heavy metal ions was also determined. Adsorption isotherms and adsorption kinetics were also used to examine the fundamental adsorption properties. It is found that the P‐PAN nanofibers show high efficiency, and the maximal adsorption capacities of metal ions as calculated from the Langmuir model were 92.1, 68.3, 14.8, and 51.7 mg/g, respectively. The kinetics of the heavy metal ions adsorption were found to follow pseudo‐second‐order rate equation, suggesting chemical adsorption can be regarded as the major factor in the adsorption process. Sorption/desorption results reveal that the obtained P‐PAN nanofibers can remain high removal efficiency after four cycles.