Iminodiacetic acid-functionalized porous polymer for removal of toxic metal ions from water

The design of efficient adsorbent with abundant binding sites for heavy metal ions is crucial for developing innovative materials that will remove pollutant metal ions. The high uptake capacity, kinetics, and affinity towards the toxic metals are the key requirements that the materials under invesigation should accomplish. Here we report the synthesis of iminodiacetic acid-functionalized hypercrosslinked polymer (IDA-HCP) for purification of water polluted by toxic metal ions via coordination of carboxylate and amino active sites on the surface of porous polymer. The obtained porous polymer is stable under harsh conditions and the structural features on the polymer work together to help the removal of Pb(II) with 1138 mg g–1 uptake capacity. In the meanwhile, the IDA-HCP reveals reuseability and very promising capture efficiency not only for Pb2+, but also for Hg2+ and Cd2+ from a mixture of Pb2+, Hg2+, Cd2+, Co2+, Fe3+, Zn2+, Mg2+, and Na+ metal ions. This result gives us confidence that the polymer material can solve the pollution problem caused by various metal ions.