Use of apple seeds as new source for synthesis of polyacrylonitrile-based adsorbent to remove Pb(II)

Bromoactylated apple seeds (BAS) was used as new source for the synthesis of environmental adsorbent. Apple seeds were modified by bromoacetyl bromide to obtain a macroinitiator for single electron transfer-living radical polymerization (SET-LRP) of acrylonitrile (AN). The amidoxime (AO) adsorbent was prepared by the reaction of the graft copolymer bromoactylated apple seeds (BAS)/polyacrylonitrile (BAS- g -PAN) with hydroxylamine. Amidoxime BAS- g -PAN (AO BAS- g -PAN) was used to remove Pb(II) and the maximum adsorption for Pb(II) was 1.58 mmol/g. AO BAS- g -PAN could also selectively adsorb Pb(II) from binary ion systems in the existence of Ag(I), Ni(II) and Zn(II). This efficient modifying approach provides a new powerful mean toward filling the gap on apple waste as a potential source for controlling heavy metal pollution.