Metal ion binding by pyridylethyl-containing polymers: experimental and theoretical study.

Binding of Cu(2+), Ni(2+) and Ag(+) ions to polyallylamine (PAA), polyethylenimine (PEI), poly(N-2-(2-pyridyl)ethylallylamine) (PEPAA), poly(N-2-(2-pyridyl)ethylethylenimine) (PEPEI), and N-2-(2-pyridyl)ethylchitosan (PEC) has been investigated using batch sorption experiments, spectrophotometric titration, ESR, and XPS to elucidate how the structure of polymer precursors affects the ion binding efficiency of their pyridylethylated derivatives. It has been shown that pyridylethylation increases the sorption capacities of PAA and PEI cross-linked with epichlorohydrin toward Ag(+) and Ni(2+) ions, but does not improve or decrease that toward Cu(2+) ions. PEC was the most efficient material for Ag(+) ion sorption with the sorption capacity of 1.