Surface-initiated atom transfer radical polymerization of polyamine grafting from magnetic iron oxide submicroparticles for high adsorption capacity of cadmium in aqueous solution

Chemical modification of magnetic submicroparticles (MSPs) with functional polymers using controlled/living radical polymerization method has recently gained a great deal of attentions because of the potential applications to water treatment. In this work, we demonstrated an efficient method for poly(glycidyl methacrylate) (pGMA) modification of MSPs, by surface-initiated atom transfer radical polymerization method, and then, the particles were actually modified by triethylenetetramine through epoxy groups of pGMA to form polyamine/MSPs. The material was characterized using infrared spectroscopy, thermo gravimetric analyzer, transmission electron microscopic, gel permeation chromatography, and vibrating sample magnetometer. Sorption of Cd(II) to polyamine/MSPs reached equilibrium in ∼100 min and agreed well to the Freundlich isotherm equation with maximum adsorption capacity of 71.3 mg g−1 for the 500 mg L−1 Cd(II) aqueous solution at neutral pH.

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► Polyamine/Fe3O4 submicroparticles were synthesized using surface-initiated atom transfer radical polymerization method.
► Polyamine/Fe3O4 submicroparticles performed a high adsorption capacity for Cd(II) in aqueous solution.
► The adsorption mechanism was investigated through infrared spectroscopy.
► The experimental data gave a good fit to the Freundlich equation.