Potentiometric study of Cu(II) and Ni(II) complexation with two high molecular weight poly(acrylic acids)

The copper (II) or nickel (II) complex formation with two poly(acrylic acids) of high molecular weight (Mw=2.5×10⁵ and 3×10⁶) was investigated in aqueous dilute solution (NaNO₃ 0.1 mol l⁻¹; 25°C). Potentiometric titrations were carried out, first to precise the acid-base properties of the two polymers, and secondly to determine the stability constants of the MA and MA₂ complex species formed. The Bjerrum's method, modified by Gregor et al. (J. Phys. Chem., 59 (1955) 34–39), for the study of polymeric acids was used. The results obtained showed that both polymers present very similar properties. As expected, copper (II) is more readily bound to poly(acrylic acids). CuA₂ was the predominant observed species; the global stability constant log β₁₀₂ was found to be close to 6.6. With nickel (II), none of the complex species MA or MA₂ becomes predominant (log β₁₀₂=5.5). Finally, the PAA complexes present a greater stability compared with that of monomeric analogs.