Characterisation and exceptional adsorption properties of an ion - imprinted polymer for the selective removal of...

In this study, a nickel ion imprinted polymer (Ni(II)-IIP) was successfully prepared by thermally induced polymerization using adipic dihydrazide (ADH) as ligand and methacrylic acid (MAA) as functional monomer. The polymer was found to be capable of rapidly and efficiently removing nickel ions from aqueous solutions. During the course of the study, the effects of different preparation conditions on the adsorption properties of Ni(II)-IIP were investigated for the purpose of optimizing its properties. The physicochemical properties of Ni(II)-IIP were investigated by means of various characterization techniques. Furthermore, the adsorption isotherms, adsorption kinetics, selectivity, and adsorption mechanism of Ni(II)-IIP on Ni(II) under different adsorption conditions were investigated. Furthermore, molecular modelling of functional monomers and ligands was conducted, and their electrostatic surface potentials (ESP) and surface electrostatic potential minima were calculated and plotted. This was undertaken to analyze the complexation mechanism of monomers with target ions and to deepen the understanding of the adsorption mechanism. The batch adsorption experiments yielded the following results: the maximum adsorption of Ni(II)-IIP on Ni(II) prepared by Ni(II)-IIP was 47.16 mg g^-1, and the adsorption equilibrium could be reached within 105 min. Furthermore, Ni(II)-IIP exhibited both good selectivity and cyclic stability for the capture of Ni(II). The present study demonstrates that Ni(II)-IIP is a promising material for the removal of Ni(II) from water.