Preparation of hydrazinodeoxycellulose and carboxyalkyl hydrazinodeoxycelluloses and their adsorption behavior toward heavy metal ions

Nitrogen-containing cellulose derivatives hydrazinodeoxycellulose (HDC) and carboxyalkyl hydrazinodeoxycelluloses (α- and β-CAHDCs) were prepared from 6-chlorodeoxycellulose (CDC). Their adsorption of divalent transition metal ions was determined from dilute aqueous solutions and compared with that of aminoalkyl celluloses (AmACs) reported previously. HDC scarcely adsorbs metal ions in the pH range of 1–2, whereas α- and β-CAHDCs adsorb metal ions in this pH range. However, the adsorption of metal ions on HDC increases rapidly with increasing pH and HDC more effectively adsorbs metal ions than α- and β-CAHDCs in weakly acidic conditions. The ability to adsorb Cu²⁺ ions was in the order of AmAC (carbon number in the diamine moiety m = 2) > HDC > α-CAHDC > β-CAHDC in the weakly acidic region. These adsorbents selectively adsorb Cu²⁺ ions from the solutions containing other metal ions such as Mn²⁺, Co²⁺, and Ni²⁺, and the Irving–Williams series is obeyed in these adsorbent/metal ion systems. © 1997 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci A: Polym Chem 35 : 3359–3363, 1997