Preparation of the thermosensitive metal ion imprinted polymer in supercritical carbon dioxide: application in the selective recognition of copper (II)

The temperature‐sensitive Cu(II) ion imprinted polymer (Cu(II)‐MIIP) materials were prepared via precipitation polymerization methods in supercritical carbon dioxide (scCO₂) by using methanol as cosolvent. In the polymerization process, the polymerization mixture consists of copper ion, N‐isopropylacrylamide (functional monomer), ethylene glycol dimethacrylate (crosslinker), and 2,2′‐azobisisobutyronitrile (initiator). Non‐imprinted polymer particles were similarly prepared in the same way except for the presence of copper ion in the polymerization reaction. In this study, the characteristic of swelling/shrinking for Cu(II)‐MIIP in response to the change in temperature was investigated by scanning electron microscopy and photograph of swelling/shrinking for Cu(II)‐MIIP in deionized water. The above‐synthesized polymer particles were characterized by using Fourier transform infrared, thermo‐gravimetric analysis, and X‐ray diffraction techniques. Furthermore, the complete removal of the copper metal ion from the CuP was confirmed by atomic absorption spectroscopy. The selectivity adsorption of polymer materials was investigated from dilute aqueous solutions, and it was found to have an imprinting efficiency of 2.13 for Zn and Co ions. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.