Synthesis of silica chemically bonded with poly(ethylene oxide) 4-arm, amine-terminated for copper cation removal

Chemically modified silica containing a poly(ethylene oxide) 4-arm, amine-terminated unit has been obtained in the multi-step synthesis. The synthesized material was characterized by elemental, thermogravimetric analysis and infrared spectroscopy. The surface morphology was analyzed by scanning electron microscopy. The support studied was applied for selective extraction of copper(II) [Cu(II)] from water solutions. The influence of different parameters (pH, amount of the support studied, and contact time) on the copper extraction was investigated. At the optimum conditions, the copper extraction was approximately 90%, significantly greater than that of the other coexisting ions--nickel(II) [Ni(II)], cobalt(II) [Co(II)], and manganese(II) [Mn(II)]. The exception was calcium(II) [Ca(II)], which reached 30% of the extraction percentage. The solid support retained its properties after treatment with different organic and inorganic solvents. The recovery of adsorbed Cu(II) ions was approximately 97%. The sorbent studied can be applied effectively for the pre-concentration of a low level of Cu(II) in the different water samples.