Abstract: The lanthanide-ion-imprinted polymers (L-IIPs) were synthesized from La3+ or Ce3+ ion and complexing agents either Schiff base or azobenzene with ethylene glycol-dimethylacrylate as cross-linking agent, 4-vinylpyridine monomer and 2,2-azobisisobutyronitrile initiator. After polymerization, cavities in the polymer particles corresponding to the La3+/Ce3+ ions were created by leaching in 20 mL of HCl solution (2.0 mol L-1). The maximum sorption capacity is found to be 25.0, 24.3, 24.5 and 24.7 mg g-1 of La-IIP-Schiff, La-IIP-Azo, Ce-IIP-Schiff, Ce-IIP-Azo polymers, respectively at pH 6. The L-IIPs gave good selectivity to La or Ce ions in the presence of other selected lanthanide cations with close atomic radius. The L-IIPs were reused and regenerated for ten times without a significant decrease in binding affinity
Template and target information: lanthanum ion, cerium ion, La(III), Ce(III)
Author keywords: Azobenzene-based ligand, La(III) and Ce(III) ion-imprinted polymers, Schiff base ligand, separation