Synthesis and study of sorption properties of polyvinyl alcohol (PVA)-based hybrid materials

The present contribution aims at reporting the synthesis and the preliminary evaluation of hybrid materials combining polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) functionalized with ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA) as complexing groups, and alumina that, together, were able to efficiently complex and remove metallic cations from aqueous effluents. For such purpose, well-defined PVA homopolymers bearing an azide (PVA-N3) or an alkyne function (PVA-alkyne) were functionalized via chemical modification by either phosphoric acid (PPVA-N3), to promote adhesion to alumina, or ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (PVA(EDTA)-alkyne), able to efficiently complex metallic cations. Modified PVA chains were coupled by Huisgen reaction using copper catalysis (CuAAC) leading to the formation of bifunctional diblock copolymers. Then, hybrid materials were produced via the grafting of PVA-based copolymers onto alumina particles. Finally, the sorption capacity of these materials towards Co(II), Ni(II) and Sr(II) was determined to evaluate their removal efficiency. Such hybrid materials could be efficiently used in the context of nuclear effluents treatment.