New silica-immobilized hydroxypyrimidinone as sorbent of hard metal ions from aqueous fluids

The chemical modification of solid supports with chelators for the sorption of residual amounts of specific metal ions is of environmental and biological current interest. The present work describes the preparation and chelating properties of a new hydroxypyrimidinone-functionalized silica, (HOPY-PrN)-Si, with high affinity for hard metal ions. The new chelating matrix was obtained by coupling a 1-hydroxy-2-(1H)-pyrimidinone derivative, HOPY-PrN, to an epoxy-activated silica. It showed good stability at neutral and acidic conditions and high sequestering capacity for hard metal ions, namely Fe3+ and Al3+, as previously found for the corresponding sepharosic derivative. However, the fact that the present silica-gel derivative is considerably less expensive gives support to its potential interest as a sorbent of traces of toxic hard metal ions from water streams or even from physiological fluids, aided by extracorporeal devices containing the immobilized chelator.