Pb(II) ion-imprinted micro-porous particles for the selective separation of Pb(II) ions.

Pb(II) ion-imprinted micro-porous particles were prepared from the ionic complexes formed between vinyl pyridine functional monomers and template Pb(II) ions. The self-assembled Pb(II)/monomer complex was suspension polymerized in the presence of divinylbenzene cross-linker. The prepared micro-particles were 400-600 μm in size. Their chemical and physical structures, morphologies, and adsorption capacity were analyzed by energy dispersive X-ray spectrometry (EDX) Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET) analysis, scanningelectron microscopy (SEM), and atomic adsorption spectroscopy (AAS). The adsorption capacity of the imprinted polymer for the Pb(II) template ions was significantly affected by the initial concentration and the pH of the feed solution. Adsorptionis rapid in the first 1 h, after which it slowly increases to equilibrium. The imprinted particles showed high selectivity for lead ions; the adsorption capacity for the Pb(II) ions, 28 mg g(-1) polymer, was much higher than those for other metal ions such as Ni(II)Zn(II), Fe(II), or Cd(II). The imprinted particles maintain high standards of their adsorption ability after 10 repeated uses.