Chelation properties of poly(β‐diketone) polymer and its oxime toward heavy metal ions

The chelation behavior of poly(β‐diketone), polymer I, and poly(β‐diketone) oxime, polymer II, toward the divalent metal ions, Cu 2+ , Zn 2+ , Ni 2+ , and Cd 2+ , and the trivalent lanthanide metal ions, La 3+ , Nd 3+ , Sm 3+ , Gd 3+ , and Tb 3+ was investigated by a batch equilibration technique as a function of contact time, pH, and counter ion. Polymer II exhibited improved chelation characteristics toward lanthanide metal ions in comparison with polymer I and the metal‐ion uptake follows the order Tb 3+ ≈ Gd 3+ ≈ Sm 3+ > Nd 3+ ≈ La 3+ . On the other hand, polymer I showed relatively higher capacity than polymer II, toward the investigated divalent metal ions, where the metal‐ion uptake follows the order Cu 2+ > Cd 2+ ≈ Zn 2+ > Ni 2+ . © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2008