We reports the synthesis of a series of metal chelating polymers to determine which type of polymer results in the most efficient binding to a series of heavy metal water contaminants. By altering the structure of the polymers and the identity of the chelating group, this research helps elucidate the importance of polymer structure and functionality on metal binding efficiency. The polymers are synthesized via a “modular” approach using pentafluorophenyl acrylate (PFPA) as the monomer repeat unit. Poly (pentafluorophenylacrylate) can undergo efficient post-polymerization functionalization with a series of nucleophiles, which enables the study of many different metal-chelating groups while minimizing the synthetic complexity. A single polymer can be functionalized with a variety of metal binding groups, creating a “library” of metal chelating polymers for detailed binding studies. Utilization of reversible addition-fragmentation chain transfer (RAFT) polymerization provides control over size, molecular weight and molecular architecture. Linear as well as hyperbranched polymers are synthesized via RAFT, functionalized with mono-, bi-, and tridentate ligands and their binding ability and kinetics to a series of metals (Pb, Ni, Cu, etc.) is examined.

Synthesis of metal-binding polymers for water purification via RAFT

Macromolecular Chemistry: The Second Century

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ACS Spring 2020 National Meeting & Expo

The official archive and repository for all ACS Meetings & Expositions abstracts and select posters or presentations.