Abstract
Smart responsive microcapsules capable of recognizing heavy metal ions are successfully prepared with oil-in-water-in-oil double emulsions as templates for polymerization in this study. The microcapsules are featured with thin poly( N-isopropylacrylamide- co-benzo-18-crown-6-acrylamide) (P(NIPAM- co-BCAm)) membranes, and they can selectively recognize special heavy metal ions such as barium(II) or lead(II) ions very well due to the “host–guest” complexation between the BCAm receptors and barium(II) or lead(II) ions. The stable BCAm/Ba 2+ or BCAm/Pb 2+ complexes in the P(NIPAM- co-BCAm) membrane cause a positive shift of the volume phase transition temperature of the crosslinked P(NIPAM- co-BCAm) hydrogel to a higher temperature, and the repulsion among the charged BCAm/Ba 2+ or BCAm/Pb 2+ complexes and the osmotic pressure within the P(NIPAM- co-BCAm) membranes result in the swelling of microcapsules. Induced by recognizing barium(II) or lead(II) ions, the prepared microcapsules with P(NIPAM- co-BCAm) membranes exhibit isothermal and significant swelling not only in outer and inner diameters but also in the membrane thickness. The proposed microcapsules in this study are highly attractive for developing smart sensors and/or carriers for detection and/or elimination of heavy metal ions.
Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
