Post functionalization of carboxymethylated starch and acrylonitrile based networks through amidoximation for use as ion sorbents

Carboxymethylation of starch provided carboxymethyl starch (CMS) and the modification was followed by grafting CMS with acrylonitrile (AN) using ammonium per sulphate-N,N,N,N-tetramethylethylene diamine as initiator–accelerator system. Crosslinked networks of CMS and AN were obtained using two crosslinkers, viz., N,N-methylenebisacrylamide and ethyleneglycoldimethacrylate. The networks were further reacted with hydroxylamine to generate metal ion active amidoxime groups. The synthesized hydrogels were characterized by FTIR, SEM, nitrogen analysis and swelling studies to evaluate water uptake and the candidate polymers were used as matrices for the sorption of Fe²⁺ ions, as a model metal ion, as a function of time, temperature, pH and ionic strength. An attempt was made to investigate the thermodynamics of its sorption behaviour.