Synthesis of the hydrophobic–hydrophilic macroporous poly divinylbenzene/poly(sodium acrylate) IPN resin and adsorption performance for berberine

The macroporous polydivinylbenzene/poly(methyl acrylate) interpenetrating polymer network (PDVB/PMA IPN) was prepared by the sequential suspension polymerization method, and was modified to be hydrophobic–hydrophilic macroporous polydivinylbenzene/poly (sodium acrylate) IPN (PDVB/PNaA IPN) by converting the PMA to PNaA under the condition of base. The effects of different mass ratio of the two networks and different cross‐linking degree of the second network on the pore structure and adsorption capacity of PDVB/PNaA IPN resin were studied. The PDVB/PNaA IPN resin whose adsorption quantity is the biggest was chosen to study further. The pore structure, the weak acid exchange capacity, the water retention capacity, and the swelling ability of PDVB/PNaA IPN resin were measured. The study focused on the adsorption isotherms of berberine at different temperatures. Isosteric adsorption enthalpy, adsorption Gibbs free energies can be calculated according to thermodynamic functions. The results show that the saturated adsorption quantity of berberine is up to 109.4 mg ml^?1 (wet resin) by the way of dynamic adsorption and desorption experiment. The resin could be reused by the mixture with 0.5% sodium chloride and 80% ethanol. On the one hand the hydrophobic PDVB in the PDVB/PNaA IPN resin has the ability of adsorption using π–π interaction, and on the other hand the hydrophilic PNaA in the PDVB/PNaA IPN resin has the ability of adsorption using ion exchange interaction. An important conclusion can be drawn that the PDVB/PNaA IPN resin has a promising application prospect in extracting and separating quaternary ammonium type alkaloids such as berberine. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.