Effect of polymer backbone chemical structure on metal ions binding by imidazolylmethyl derivatives

Sorption capacities toward transition metal cations change in the following row: IMPEI > IMC > IMPAA. The effect of polymer structure on sorption capacities of IMPEI, IMPAA, and IMC is much stronger for divalent cations than for monovalent silver ion. DFT calculations have shown that coordination of Ag+ ion by all derivatives occurs via formation of two Ag-N coordination bonds with N-atoms of imidazole ring and amino group of the polymer backbone, while contribution of electron-donor atoms of IMC and IMPEI backbone to coordination of divalent ions is remarkably higher.