Hydro- and Ferrogels for potential metal ions capture

L. ARCINIEGAS; C. E. HOPPE; J. S. GONZALEZ

Mar del Plata

Simposio; XVI SIMPOSIO LATINOAMERICANO DE POLÍMEROS Y XIV CONGRESO IBEROAMERICANO DE POLÍMEROS; 2018

INTEMA (CONICET-UNMdP)

With the aim of contributing to solve some of the mostimportant current environmental issues, the last yearshave witnessed an active research in the developmentof polymeric hydrogels for water remediation andmetal ions capture1. Hydrogels are three-dimensionalhydrophilic polymer networks with the ability ofabsorbing huge amounts of water and aqueoussolutions2,3. Through the synthesis of ferrogels, whichare obtained by introducing magnetic nanoparticles(MNPs) into the hydrogel network, many of thehydrogel properties as adsorption capacity4,mechanical resistance5 and biocompatibility5, could beimproved. In this work we present the synthesis andcharacterization of hydrogels and ferrogels based onthe epoxy-amine chemistry and their potential use toadsorb metal ions. Using this versatile chemistry, ahydrophilic, chemically crosslinked network can beobtained in a simple one-pot process and in absence ofany solvents. The presence of polar groups in thematrix (OH- and tertiary amines, products of thesynthesis reaction) enables the stabilization of in-situformed MNPs and, at the same time, provides to thegel the potential capacity of adsorbing ions.