Tailoring of ionic imprinted polymer-based polyeugenol as a selective adsorbent of Fe(III) ions

Abstract

ABSTRACT An imprinted polymer has been successfully synthesized using polyeugenol and polyethylene glycol dimethacrylate (PEGDMA) crosslinker for selective adsorption of Fe3+ ions. The synthesized imprinted polymer is milled to obtain a polymer with high adsorption performance. This work aims to determine the effect of milling on ionic imprinted polymer (IIP) and non-ionic imprinted polymer (NIP) as selective adsorbents of Fe3+ ion against competing metal ions. Adsorbent synthesis was carried out by adding polyeugenol with the crosslinking agent ethylene glycol dimethacrylate (EGDMA) in chloroform solvent and with the initiator 2,2’-Azobis(2-methyl propionitrile) (AIBN). IIP and NIP were used as adsorbents in the adsorption selectivity test of Fe3+ on the binary metals Fe3+/Cu2+, Fe3+/Zn2+, Fe3+/Ag+, and Fe3+/Cd2+. SEM (Scanning Electron Microscope) shows a more identical and smaller particle surface morphology in the milled IIP. Surface area analysis using the BET method (Brunauer-Emmett-Teller) showed an increase in the surface area of IIP after milling treatment. The adsorption capacity and selectivity of Fe3+ metal ions on milled IIP were greater than that of IIP. The selectivity of Fe3+ adsorption is greater in the binary metal ion mixture Fe3+/Cu2+ and Fe3+/Zn2+ than in the Fe3+/Cd2+ and Fe3+/Ag+ solutions.