Synthesis of nano-pore samarium (III)-imprinted polymer for preconcentrative separation of samarium ions from other lanthanide ions via solid phase extraction

A batch process was developed to separate samarium ions from some lanthanide ions by a novel solid phase which was prepared via the ion-imprinting technique. The samarium (III) ion-imprinted polymer (IIP) particles were synthesized by preparing the ternary complex of samarium ions with 5,7-dichloroquinoline-8-ol (DCQ) and 4-vinylpyridine (VP). Then, thermally copolymerization with styrene (functional monomer, STY) and divinylbenzene (cross-linking monomer, DVB) followed in the presence of 2-methoxy ethanol (porogen) and 2,2′-azobisisobutyronitrile (initiator, AIBN). The imprinted ion was removed by stirring the above particles with 50% (v/v) HCl to obtain the leached IIP particles. Moreover, control polymer (CP) particles were similarly prepared without the samarium ions. The unleached and leached IIP particles were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), infra-red spectroscopy (IR), thermo gravimetric analysis (TGA) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Finally, preconcentration and selectivity studies for samarium and the other lanthanide ions were carried out. The preconcentration of the samarium (III) traces was studied during rebinding with the leached IIP particles as a function of pH, the weight of the polymer material, the preconcentration and the elution times, the eluent volume and the aqueous phase volume. These studies indicated that the samarium (III) amount as low as 1 μg, present in 200 mL, could be preconcentrated into 25 mL of 1.0 M HCl.