Quaternization reaction of 2-vinylpyridine and 4-vinylpyridine network copolymers for 4-nitrophenol adsorption

Abstract

This article aims to evaluate porous copolymers (based on styrene-STY and vinylpyridine-VP, cross-linked with divinylbenzene-DVB) as adsorbents for 4-nitrophenol from aqueous solution. These copolymers were synthesized by suspension polymerizations in the presence of heptane (HEP) and toluene (TOL) in different proportions as porogenic agents. The VP units of the copolymers were chemically modified by the addition of the electrophilic ethylenic compound (acrylonitrile). The quaternized copolymers were characterized by infrared spectrometry (FTIR), elemental analysis (CHN), optical microscopy (OM) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). ©2007 Sociedade Brasileira de Química.