Super-adsorbent material based on functional polymer particles with a multilevel porous structure

摘要

Submicron porous polymer particles with a multilevel structure can adsorb more than 1.5 times their own weight of dye. Super-adsorbent materials are needed for removing pollutants from contaminated water among other applications. Now, Wantai Yang of Beijing University of Chemical Technology in China and co-workers have produced particles that have hollow cores, a network of pores in their shells, and three-dimensional networks formed by cross-linking. The combination of this multilevel structure and their extremely high density of anhydride groups make the particles ideal for mopping up pollutants. The researchers demonstrated the particles' potential by achieving an adsorption capacity of 1,603 milligrams per gram for the dye methylene blue. As well as finding application as adsorbents for heavy-metal ions, these particles could be used as a catalyst support and a matrix for binding sensitive materials.