Highly efficient copper(II) ion sorbents obtained by calcium carbonate mineralization on functionalized cross-linked copolymers.

A new type of Cu(II) ion sorbents is presented. These are obtained by CaCO3 mineralization from supersaturated solutions on gel-like cross-linked polymeric beads as insoluble templates. A divinylbenzene-ethylacrylate-acrylonitrile cross-linked copolymer functionalized with weakly acidic, basic, or amphoteric functional groups has been used, as well as different initial inorganic concentrations and addition procedures for CaCO3 crystal growth. The morphology of the new composites was investigated by SEM and compared to that of the unmodified beads, and the polymorph content was established by X-ray diffraction. The beads, before and after CaCO3 mineralization, were tested as sorbents for Cu(II) ions. The newly formed patterns on the bead surface after Cu(II) sorption were observed by SEM, and the elemental distribution on the composites and the chemical structure of crystals after interaction with Cu(II) were investigated by EDAX elemental mapping and by FTIR-ATR spectroscopy, respectively. The sorption capacity increased significantly after CaCO3 crystals growth on the weak anionic bead surface (up to 1041.5 mg Cu(II) /g sample) compared to that of unmodified beads (491.5 mg Cu(II) /g sample).