Efficient removal of Cu(II) using amino-functionalized superparamagnetic nanoparticles prepared via SI-ATRP

An amino-functionalized nano-adsorbent (DETA-MNPs) was prepared by a process involving: (1) synthesis of superparamagnetic Fe 3 O 4 nanoparticles; (2) introduction of amino groups after which ATRP initiator was anchored; (3) grafting of glycidyl methacrylate (GMA) via SI-ATRP; and (4) ring-opening reaction of epoxy groups with diethylenetriamine (DETA). The nano-adsorbent was characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), X-ray diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscope (TEM), and vibrating sample magnetometer (VSM) and applied to remove Cu(II) in batch experiments. The effects of pH, Cu(II) concentrations, solution ionic strength, and contact time were investigated. The results show that the DETA-MNPs are spherical with cubic spine structure, high saturation magnetization (41.9 emu g −1 ), and an average diameter of 10 nm. The maximum Cu(II) adsorption capacity achieves 83.33 mg g −1 at pH 5.0 by Langmuir model. The adsorption process is highly pH-dependent and reaches equilibrium within 20 min. Furthermore, the DETA-MNPs exhibit excellent dispersibility and reusability. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2016 , 132 , 42859.