Spherical particles of α-, β- and γ-cyclodextrin polymers and their capability for phenol removal

Abstract

Spherical particles of α-, β- and γ-cyclodextrin (CD) polymers were prepared by suspension polymerization in liquid paraffin using epichlorohydrin as crosslinker. The shape and size of the polymerized-CD particles were controlled by the amounts of water and crosslinker after accounting for the varied water-solubility of three CDs. Due to the selective inclusion associations between CDs and phenol, these CD polymer particles are ideal candidates for phenol removal. The adsorption amount of phenol by CD polymers was determined by the adsorption intensity at 269nm in the UV spectrum. The phenol adsorption capacity of CD polymers was found to depend on host–guest interactions and the size of the inner cavity in each CD molecular structure. The β-CD polymer particles showed the best result to adsorb phenol, tentatively attributed to the best size matching.