Adsorption performance and mechanism of 2,4,6-trinitrotoluene on a novel adsorption material polyvinylbenzyl acid/SiO2

Polyvinylbenzene (PVB, namely polystyrene, PSt) was grafted on the surface of silica gel particles by “grafting from” in solution polymerization system, and grafting particles PVB/SiO₂ were obtained. The chloromethylation reaction of the grafted polyvinylbenzene was performed using a novel chloromethylation reagent, 1,4-bis (chloromethyoxy) butane that is un-carcinogenic, and grafting particles CMPVB/SiO₂ were obtained. Subsequently, chloromethyl groups on grafting particles CMPVB/SiO₂ were hydrolyzed and oxidized, and finally adsorption material polyvinylbenzyl acid/SiO₂ (PVBA/SiO₂) was prepared. The adsorption performances and mechanism of 2,4,6-trinitrotoluene (TNT) on PVBA/SiO₂ were investigated through static methods. The experimental results showed that PVBA/SiO₂ possessed strong adsorption ability for TNT with adsorption amount of 26.84 mg g⁻¹. The empirical Freundlich isotherm was also found to agree well with the equilibrium adsorption data. In addition, pH was found to have great influence on the adsorption amount. Finally, PVBA/SiO₂ was observed to possess excellent reusability as well.