Selective capture of iodine and toxic anionic dyes of a novel quaternary ammonium salt pillar[5]arene polymer with antibacterial activity

A novel quaternized pillar[5]arene polymer (P5-P5M-Cl) was synthesized by quaternization reaction, and characterized via XPS, FT-IR, NMR, XRD, TGA, BET, and SEM. P5-P5M-Cl can be used for the efficient removal of iodine, toxic anionic dyes, and microbial pollutants. The results demonstrated that the maximum adsorption capacity of P5-P5M-Cl for iodine in the gas phase as well as for iodine, methyl orange, and fluorescein sodium in the aqueous phase were 1.92 g/g, 3.63 g/g, 181.8 mg/g, and 86.7 mg/g, respectively. Recyclability experiments have demonstrated the good reusability of P5-P5M-Cl. Meanwhile, the adsorption mechanism was explained by molecular simulation, and the results showed that electrostatic, host-guest, hydrogen bonding, mesoporous, and π-π interactions play crucial roles in the adsorption process. In addition, the presence of abundant quaternary ammonium cationic groups enables effective removing Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli , achieving removal rates of 99.5 % and 80.0 %, respectively. These results demonstrate that P5-P5M-Cl is a multifunctional adsorbent capable of effectively removing radioactive iodine, organic dyes, and microbial pollutants.