Dispersion Polymerization Method Research Articles

Room-Temperature Synthesis of Hollow Polymer Microparticles with an Open Hole on the Surface and Their Application.

Compared with hollow microparticles with a completely closed shell structure, hollow polymer microparticles with an open hole on their surface have attracted considerable attention because of the obvious importance of the open hole on their surface; however, the development of a facile method to synthesize such unique open-ended hollow particles has remained a great challenge. In this study, an easy-to-use method was developed to rapidly produce monodispersed hollow and pored microparticles in high reaction yield at room temperature. The key to achieving the unusually shaped polystyrene (PS) microparticles was the use of anisotropic PS seeds. When hollow and dimpled PS seeds prepared using a modified dispersion polymerization method were dispersed in a water-toluene mixture followed by solvent evaporation under ambient conditions, they transformed into hollow PS microparticles with an open hole on their surface. A plausible mechanism for the transformation of the PS microparticles during the swelling and drying processes was proposed on the basis of our results and observations. The structural features of the hollow and pored PS microparticles motivated us to use the particles as a catalyst support. By using modified heterophase polymer dispersion processing involving the addition of a Ag precursor, hollow and pored PS microparticles covered with Ag nanocrystals were obtained on the basis of the in situ reduction of metal precursor on the surface of polymer particles. The resulting Ag nanocrystals/PS hybrid microparticles exhibited enhanced catalytic activity at low concentrations of nanocrystals and could be reused several times without loss of activity when used as catalysts for the reduction of 4-nitrophenol to 4-aminophenol with sodium borohydride.

Preparation of Core-shell Magnetic Nanoparticles Carrier for Treatment of Emulsified Oil

The Fe3O4 nanoparticles was prepared by chemical co-precipitation method, and modified with polyethylene glycol and lauryl sodium sulfate to obtain amphiphilic magnetic core. Core-shell magnetic particles (CMP) were prepared by modified dispersion polymerization method. After characterization, the contact angle θ of material was 133.4°, and the specific surface area of CMP reached to 1032.43 m2/g. The absorption rate up to 27.1007 g/g, and the oil release rate was up to 96.19%, ensure it fully adsorptive to the emulsified oily wastewater. The saturated magnetization of MPP was 3.95 emu/g, showed strong magnetic response. It is beneficial for recovery and reuse the material. After 12 hour degradation of crude oil, CMP immobilized with petroleum oil degrading strains to treat emulsified oil was 13.86% higher than that of free bacterial cells. The results of this research provide a reference for the rapid adsorption and degradation of emulsified oil wastewater by immobilized microorganisms with novel magnetic materials.

Monodispersed hybrid microparticles based on polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxane with good UV resistance and high thermal stability: From organic to inorganic

Polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxane (POSS) is an attractive nano-building block for the preparation of organic-inorganic hybrid materials with diverse applications. However, hybrid microparticles based on POSS have rarely been reported as their preparation remains a challenge. In this work, we describe a facile approach for the fabrication of monodispersed organic-inorganic hybrid microparticles based on POSS (MBOPs) through thiol-Michael dispersion polymerization method. By adjusting the polymerization conditions and the monomer combinations, not only the size and uniformity, but also the POSS content of MBOPs can be tuned. The varied POSS content result in the enhanced UV resistance and thermal stability of hybrid MBOPs compared to purely organic microparticles. In addition, MBOPs could be regarded as precursors for formation of the inorganic SiOC ceramic microparticles with uniform size, well-defined micropore and good alkali resistance after high temperature removing the organic components. Considering the vast selection of POSS derivatives and the vast adaptability of chemical conversion that are possible, we believe that this work provides a platform for material chemists to fabrication of advanced microparticles with unique structures and performances from organic to inorganic.

Synthesis of polyaminophosphonic acid-functionalized poly(glycidyl methacrylate) for the efficient sorption of La(III) and Y(III)

After synthesis of parent PGMA micro-particles by dispersion polymerization method, diethylenetriamine (DETA) is grafted on the polymer (DETA-PGMA). In the last step, methylene phosphonic groups are grafted on DETA-PGMA by reaction of phosphonic acid groups onto amine functions in the presence of formaldehyde to produce polyaminophosphonic acid sorbent (PPA-PGMA). The sorbent is characterized by elemental analysis, FTIR spectrometry, XPS, XRD, TG-TDA and SEM-EDX analyses. The sorption properties of the material are tested for the sorption of La(III) and Y(III): the effect of pH on sorption performance is investigated before studying uptake kinetics, sorption isotherms (and thermodynamics), metal desorption and sorbent recycling. Maximum sorption capacities reach up to 0.79 mmol La g−1 and 0.73 mmol Y g−1 at pH 5 (optimum initial pH value). Sorption isotherms are characterized by a saturation plateau: the Langmuir equation fits well data. The sorption on micron-sized particles is fast and equilibrium is reached within 3–4 h: the kinetic profiles are modelled by the Crank equation (resistance to intraparticle diffusion) though the pseudo-first order rate equation fits well experimental data. Nitric acid (0.5 M) solutions can be used for metal recovery and the sorbent is re-used for at least 6 cycles of sorption and desorption with limited decrease in performance (less than 7%). The sorbent has a preference at pH 5 for La(III) vs. Y(III) but the selectivity coefficient is not high enough for potentiating the selective separation of the two metals.

Poly(glycidyl methacrylate) Coated Soft-Magnetic Carbonyl Iron/Silicone Rubber Composite Elastomer and Its Magnetorheology

Poly(glycidyl methacrylate) (PGMA) coated soft-magnetic carbonyl iron (CI) particles were fabricated using a dispersion polymerization method in this study and then adopted for a magnetorheological (MR) elastomer. Physical characteristics of the fabricated PGMA coated CI particles, including morphology and magnetic properties, were analyzed by scanning electron microscopy, energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, and vibrating sample magnetometer. MR elastomers were prepared using silicone rubber with both PGMA-coated and uncoated CI particles. Rheological properties of the MR elastomer samples, including storage modulus and relative MR efficiency, were measured with a rotational rheometer at various magnetic field strengths. The results demonstrated that the PGMA-coated CI based MR elastomer sample had larger storage modulus, smaller MR effect, smaller Payne effect, and smaller loss tangent than the pure CI based MR elastomer due to increased bond strength between the particles and silicone rubber matrix for the PGMA-coated CI based MR elastomer.

Ultrasound-induced radicals initiated the formation of inorganic–organic Pr2O3/polystyrene hybrid composite for electro-oxidative determination of chemotherapeutic drug methotrexate

To dates, the facile synthesis of inorganic–coated organic polymer composite has received greater attention in the order of research fields including advanced materials and electrochemical analysis owing to the complementary or synergistic effects. In this context, Pr2O3 and Pr2O3 coated polystyrene (Pr2O3/PS) inorganic–organic colloidal composite were prepared via ultrasound-induced radicals initiated precipitation and dispersion polymerization methods. The synthesized Pr2O3/PS composite was systematically studied by FE-SEM, TEM, EDX, FT-IR, XRD, and XPS analysis. This composite modified glassy carbon electrode (Pr2O3/PS GCE) was utilized to construct a novel electrochemical sensor for the detection assay of chemotherapy agent methotrexate (MTA). Under optimal condition, the designed sensor showed outstanding performance for MTA trace level detection over the linear concentration range of 0.01–236 µM with a detection limit of 0.8 nM for MTA. Furthermore, the prepared sensor accomplished excellent stability and relevant reproducibility, in addition to reliable practical assay in real human blood serum and urine samples. Besides, the possible MTA sensing mechanism of Pr2O3/PS GCE has been deliberated in detail. Our finding suggested that the developed Pr2O3/PS composite might be a favorable material for the fabrication of the high-performance electrochemical sensor.

Preparation of hydrophobic fabric using cross-linked fluorinated poly methacryalte copolymer nanobeads

In this study, we synthesized cross-linked poly methyl methacrylate beads and cross-linked fluorinated poly methacryalte copolymer (F-cPMMA) beads by the dispersion polymerization method with methyl methacrylate monomer, ethylene glycol dimethacrylate, and 2,2,2-trifuloroethyl methacrylate. The size of cross-linked PMMA and F-cPMMA beads was about 100 nm. Then we developed a new geometrical high-hydrophobic film by embedding the F-cPMMA nanobeads on polyurethane (PU) film. The PU film containing fluorinated poly methacryalte copolymer beads showed a greater hydrophobic property than the non-fluorinated one in the range of 1–10 wt.%. For the purpose of industrial application of the PU films, we applied 0.1–1 wt.% of beads on the fabric by the laminating method. The PU film containing 1 wt.% of fluorinated poly methacryalte copolymer beads, which was laminated onto nylon fabric, showed the best performance of hydrophobic property (water contact angle, 79°) and moisture vapor transmission rate (8797 g·m–2·24 h).

Synthesis and Characterization of Temperature-Sensitive and Chemically Cross-Linked Poly( N-isopropylacrylamide)/Photosensitizer Hydrogels for Applications in Photodynamic Therapy.

A novel poly( N-isopropylacrylamide) (PNIPAM) hydrogel containing different photosensitizers (protoporphyrin IX (PpIX), pheophorbide a (Pba), and protoporphyrin IX dimethyl ester (PpIX-DME)) has been synthesized with a significant improvement in water solubility and potential for PDT applications compared to the individual photosensitizers (PSs). Conjugation of PpIX, Pba, and PpIX-DME to the poly( N-isopropylacrylamide) chain was achieved using the dispersion polymerization method. This study describes how the use of nanohydrogel structures to deliver a photosensitizer with low water solubility and high aggregation tendencies in polar solvents overcomes these limitations. FT-IR spectroscopy, UV-vis spectroscopy, 1H NMR, fluorescence spectroscopy, SEM, and DLS analysis were used to characterize the PNIPAM-photosensitizer nanohydrogels. Spectroscopic studies indicate that the PpIX, Pba, and PpIX-DME photosensitizers are covalently conjugated to the polymer chains, which prevents aggregation and thus allows significant singlet oxygen production upon illumination. Likewise, the lower critical solution temperature was raised to ∼44 °C in the new PNIPAM-PS hydrogels. The PNIPAM hydrogels are biocompatible with >90% cell viability even at high concentrations of the photosensitizer in vitro. Furthermore, a very sharp onset of light-dependent toxicity for the PpIX-based nanohydrogel in the nanomolar range and a more modest, but significant, photocytotoxic response for Pba-PNIPAM and PpIX-DME-PNIPAM nanohydrogels suggest that the new hydrogels have potential for applications in photodynamic therapy.

Functionalized poly(pyrrole-3-carboxylic acid) nanoneedles for dual-imaging guided PDT/PTT combination therapy

Herein, poly(pyrrole-3-carboxylic acid) (PPyCOOH) nanoneedles with abundant carboxyl groups were synthesized by aqueous dispersion polymerization method using pyrrole-3-carboxylic acid as conductive polymer monomer. The PPyCOOH nanoneedles not only owned good photothermal performance, but also more importantly showed enhanced tumor cell uptake efficiency (1.64 fold) compared with size and zeta-potential matched nanospheres. After loading photosensitizer aluminum phthalocyanine tetrasulfonate (AlPCS4) and modifying with poly(allylamine hydrochloride) (PAH) and poly(acrylic acid) (PAA) onto the PPyCOOH nanoneedles, novel nanoneedle complexes (AlPCS4@PPyCONH-PAH-PAA) integrating photodynamic therapy (PDT) and photothermal therapy (PTT) were successfully fabricated. The as-prepared nanoneedle complexes improved uptake efficiency of AlPCS4 both in vitro and in vivo. Moreover, the nanoneedle complexes have infrared thermal and fluorescent properties. By combined PDT/PTT under the guiding of dual modal imaging, the tumors in mice were completely eliminated and no recurrence was observed in 30 days after treatment, indicating that PPyCOOH nanoneedles have great potential as a novel drug carrier for constructing multifunctional nanoplatform used for cancer treatment.

Theranostic nanoplatform based on polypyrrole nanoparticles for photoacoustic imaging and photothermal therapy

Development of effective theranostic nanoplatforms against malignant tumor is still a challenge. With desirable near-infrared (NIR) light-responsive properties, polypyrrole nanoparticles (PPy NPs) are one of the promising theranostic candidates for cancer photoacoustic imaging and photothermal therapy. Here, PPy NPs with distinct sizes were prepared using a facile aqueous dispersion polymerization method. The formed PPy NPs are uniform in size with narrow size distribution. Characterization data show that PPy NPs with a diameter around 50 nm (P50) display stronger absorption in the NIR range compared to 40 and 60 nm PPy NPs, which further influences their photo-responsive properties. Due to their higher NIR absorption, P50 NPs have better photoacoustic imaging property and photothermal conversion ability than the other two kinds of PPy NPs. The photothermal stability of P50 NPs was proved to be excellent. The CCK-8 assays show that PPy NPs have obvious acute cytotoxicity within 6 h and desirable cytocompatibility for longer incubation time (12 and 24 h). After 6-h incubation, P50 NPs could be internalized by HeLa cells. Their photothermal tumor ablation effect was demonstrated under 808-nm laser irradiation. These findings may provide in-depth understanding of the PPy-based multifunctional nanomaterials for the development of theranostic systems against cancer.

Smart and Fragrant Garment via Surface Modification of Cotton Fabric With Cinnamon Oil/Stimuli Responsive PNIPAAm/Chitosan Nano Hydrogels.

This paper deals with obtaining aromatherapic textiles via applying stimuli-responsive poly N-isopropyl acryl amide (PNIPAAm) /chitosan (PNCS) nano hydrogels containing cinnamon oil on cotton fabric and looks into the treated fabric characteristics as an antibacterial and temperature/pH responsive fabric. The semi-batch surfactant-free dispersion polymerization method was proposed to the synthesis of PNCS nano particles. The incorporation of modified β -cyclodextrin ( β -CD) into the PNCS nanohydrogel was performed in order to prepare a hydrophobic(cinnamon oil) carrier embedded in stimuli-responsive nanohydrogel. The β -CD postloading process of cinnamon oil in to the hydrogel nano particles was performed via ultrasonic bath and exhaustion methods. The antibacterial activity of the treated fabrics at different temperatures demonstrated the preparing new functional bio-antibacterial fabrics with temperature responsiveness.

PH-Sensitive Polymeric Nanoparticles Fabricated by Dispersion Polymerization for the Delivery of Bioactive Agents.

Development of pH-responsive nanoparticles capable of rapid degradation in the acidic environments in the endosomes and lysosomes of tumor tissues but relatively more stable in the physiological pH (pH 7.4) is desirable. To show that the number of methoxy groups on the benzene ring of benzaldehyde bisacrylate acetal crosslinkers should affect the rate of hydrolysis of the crosslinkers and in vitro availability of the drug loaded into the nanoparticles. Three pH-sensitive acetal crosslinkers were synthesized and characterized by 1H NMR, 13C NMR, FT-IR and high resolution mass spectroscopy (HR-MS). The nanoparticles were fabricated by free-radical dispersion polymerization method. Hydrolysis studies were carried out on the crosslinkers and nanoparticles; drug release studies were done on docetaxel-loaded nanoparticles at pH 5.0 and pH 7.4. The statisitical experimental design was randomized complete block design followed by analyses of variance with F-test of significance. Pairwise comparison test was used to locate specific differences among parameters of the crosslinkers and the nanopaticles. Scanning electron micrographs showed the formation of spherical particles. Particle size analysis showed that the nanoparticles are within nanosize range with negative zeta potential. Data showed that the rate of hydrolysis and drug release were faster at pH 5.0 compared to pH 7.4. Hydrolysis and drug release studies were dependent on the structure of the acetals: Di(2-methacryloyloxyethoxy)- [2,4,6-trimethoxyphenyl] methane crosslinker showed the fastest rate of hydrolysis, followed by di(2- methacryloyloxyethoxy)-[2,4-dimethoxyphe-nyl] methane and di(2-methacryloyloxyethoxy)-[4-methoxyphenyl] methane. The pH-responsive nanoparticles are suitable for the delivery of bioactive agents, especially anticancer drugs.

Fabrication of Core-Shell Structure of Ni/Au Layer on PMMA Micro-Ball for Flexible Electronics

In this paper, core-shell structure of nickel/gold (Ni/Au) conductive layer on poly-methyl-methacrylate (PMMA) micro-ball was fabricated and its conduction property was investigated. Firstly, PMMA micro-ball was synthesized by using dispersion polymerization method. Size of the ball was <TEX>$2.8{\mu}m$</TEX> within <TEX>${\pm}7%$</TEX> deviation, and appropriate elastic deformation of the PMMA micro-ball ranging from 31 to 39% was achieved under 3 kg pressure. Also, 200 nm thick Ni/Au conductive layer was fabricated on the PMMA micro-ball by uniformly depositing with electroless-plating. Adhesion of the conductive layer was optimized with help of surface pre-treatment, and the layer adhered without peeling-off despite of thermal expansion by collision with accelerated electrons. Composite paste containing core-shell structured particles well cured at low temperature of <TEX>$130^{\circ}C$</TEX> while pressing the test chip onto the substrate to make electrical contact, and electrical resistance of the conductive layer showed stable behavior of about <TEX>$6.0{\Omega}$</TEX>. Thus, it was known that core-shell structured particle of the Ni/Au conductive layer on PMMA micro-ball was feasible to flexible electronics.

Spherical, Dimpled, and Crumpled Hybrid Colloids with Tunable Surface Morphology.

Surface morphology is a tool to tune physical properties of colloidal suspensions such as the wettability, viscoelasticity, and depletion attractions. Existing synthesis methods to obtain colloids with a rough surface morphology often result in colloids with nontunable surface properties. Here, we developed a synthetic approach to obtain both spherical and shape-anisotropic hybrid colloids with tunable surface morphology. With our approach, monodisperse linear polystyrene colloids, obtained in large quantities using a dispersion polymerization method, are swollen and cross-linked with styrene and 3-(trimethoxysilyl)propyl methacrylate (TPM) in the presence of the polymerization inhibitor hydroquinone. We show that, by varying only two experimental parameters, the concentration of the inhibitor and of TPM during swelling linear polystyrene colloids, three different types of particles can be synthesized. At low TPM concentrations, spherical colloids are obtained where the surface roughness can be tuned by varying the hydroquinone concentration. At intermediate TPM concentrations, single-dimpled colloids are formed with tunable dimple size. High TPM concentrations yield crumpled colloids of various shapes. Additionally, we demonstrate that all particles can be used as templates for silica coating, resulting in electrostatically stabilized silica-coated hybrid colloids or silica shells with rough, smooth, dimpled, or crumpled surface morphology.

Conductivity and dielectric analysis of nanocolloidal polypyrrole particles functionalized with higher weight percentage of poly(styrene sulfonate) using the dispersion polymerization method

Abstract Nanocolloidal polypyrrole/poly(styrene sulfonate) PPy:PSS composites were prepared by dispersion polymerization of pyrrole with 0.5 wt%, 1 wt%, 2.5 wt%, 5 wt%, 10 wt% and 15 wt% of PSS. Higher doping level of PPy was confirmed with increased S/N value of elemental analysis. Morphological variations of PPy composite matrix based on PSS were analyzed in which spherical shaped PPy particles of 20–40 nm were obtained for 1:1 wt% of PPy:PSS. Presence of higher concentration of PSS within the PPy matrix substantially improved its thermal stability. Dielectric properties were investigated using complex impedance analyzer as a function of frequency (50 Hz–5 MHz) and temperature between 30°C and 120°C. PPy, with improved dispersion, showed higher dielectric constant values up to 15 wt% of anionic polyelectrolyte PSS and the dielectric loss varied between 4.7 and 7.9 for different wt% of PSS. AC conductivity (σac) enhanced up to 1:1 wt% of PPy:PSS composite, which is found to be the optimum wt% in this study. DC conductivity was found to decrease after 1:1 wt% of PPy:PSS composite, which is due to excess oxidation, leading to reduced π conjugation of PPy chains. Higher dielectric constant values of composite, with relatively low dielectric loss values, indicate their potential usage in the electric and electronic industry.

Encapsulation of modified pigment yellow 110 (PY110) for electrophoretic display

Abstract

Heat-Resistant Crack-Free Superhydrophobic Polydivinylbenzene Colloidal Films.

Highly cross-linked poly(divinylbenzene) (PDVB) spherical colloidal particles with nano-, submicron-, and micron-sizes of 157.2 nm, 602.1 nm, and 5.1 μm were synthesized through emulsion and dispersion polymerization methods. The influences of particle size on the surface morphology, roughness, superhydrophobicity, and critical cracking thickness of colloidal films were studied in detail. The results show that PDVB colloidal films possess large water contact angle (CA) over 151°, belonging to superhydrophobic materials. Moreover, it is interesting to observe that the highly cross-linked network structure leads to PDVB film's excellent heat-resistance. The CA and rough surface morphology remain nearly unchanged after thermal-treatment of films at 150 °C for 24 h. In addition, no cracks were observed in films with thicknesses up to 8.1 μm, exceeding most of polymer and inorganic particle films reported in the literature. The simple and scalable preparation method, low-cost, superhydrophobicity, and excellent thermal stability endow the PDVB colloidal films with promising applications in advanced coating fields, especially when employed in the high-temperature service environment.

Effect of oxidizing agent on ammonia sensing of DBSA doped polyaniline nanocomposite thin film

Dodecylbenzene sulphonic acid (DBSA) doped polyaniline (PANI) film have been successfully prepared by simple dispersion polymerization method. In this article stress has been given to compare the structural, morphological, spectral and gas sensing properties of DBSA doped PANI film using two different oxidising agents, namely ammonium per sulphate (APS) and potassium dichromate (PDC). The composite film oxidized by APS responses more to ammonia (NH3) vapour as compared to that prepared using PDC. Prior to vapour sensing investigation the composite film has been characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), energy dispersion X-ray, UV–visible spectroscopy, fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) in order to investigate its structural, morphological, spectral properties and thermal stability respectively. Structure analysis shows better crystallinity nature of the APS oxidized film through the presence of sharper peaks in the XRD plot. The morphological studies, done through FESEM measurements, reveal more ordered nearly uniform one dimensional shapes in APS oxidized film. The UV–visible absorption spectra indicate better conductivity for the APS oxidized film. FTIR spectra confirm cross linking in the DBSA doped composite film from the presence of extra bands apart from those of PANI and DBSA. APS doped film is found to possess improved thermal and environmental stability as compared to the PDC oxidized film. It is observed that at room temperature (300 K), the response of the APS oxidized PANI film is found to be 63 % towards 100 ppm of NH3 gas. Also it shows better sensitivity, stability and correlations compared to the PDC oxidized film.

Monodispersity/Narrow Polydispersity Cross-Linked Microparticles Prepared by Step-Growth Thiol–Michael Addition Dispersion Polymerizations

We report a dispersion polymerization method based on thiol–Michael addition reactions for the preparation of cross-linked, narrow dispersity microparticles with well-defined, tunable physicochemical properties. Polymerization between pentaerythritol tetra(3-mercaptopropionate) (PETMP) and trimethylolpropane triacrylate in methanol was chosen as a model system, with the addition of triethylamine as a catalyst and polyvinylpyrrolidone as a stabilizer. The formation of microparticles took place within seconds at ambient conditions, as a result of a polymerization driven phase transition from dissolved monomers to precipitated polymers. The particle size was found to be affected by the amount of catalyst, the monomer concentration, and the monomer/polymer solubility in the reaction media. Monodispersity was achieved within a range of particle diameters from 1.6 to 4.3 μm, as determined both by scanning electron microscopy and dynamic light scattering. The reaction kinetics were studied by Fourier transform i...

Synthesis of siloxane-modified melamine-formaldehyde microsphere and its heavy metal ions adsorption by coordination effects

Abstract Microspheres could be utilized in the industrial waste water treatment due to their huge specific surface areas and surficial functional groups, which possibly adsorb heavy metal ions in the industrial waste. Melamine-formaldehyde (MF) microspheres were easily prepared as mono-dispersed micro-sized particles with a smooth surface. However, these rich amine groups in MF microspheres were frequently ignored for heavy metal ions adsorption owing to coordination effects. In this paper, a rough and bumpy siloxane-modified melamine-formaldehyde (Si–MF) microsphere was prepared using a dispersion polymerization method. Based on the experimental measurement, it is found that the particle size, surface morphology and dispersion state of Si–MF microspheres were significantly influenced by dispersing agent dosages, reaction temperature and pH. And Si–MF microspheres can be degraded in low pH. Moreover, the adsorption of the metal ions (Cu 2+ , Pb 2+ and Ni 2+ ) by Si–MF microspheres was also measured by an Inductive Coupled Plasma (ICP) instrument. The result indicated that the Si–MF microsphere showed a high adsorption capability for metal ions, especially Pb 2+ as a potential metal ion trapping agent.