Synthesis of nanostructured novel ion-imprinted polymer for selective removal of Cu²⁺ and Sr²⁺ ions from reverse osmosis concentrated brine

This study aims to prepare an ion-imprinted polymer (IIP) using copper sulfate as a template and potassium persulfate as an initiator to selectively adsorb copper ions (Cu²⁺) from aqueous solutions and in an attempt to also test its applicability for removing strontium ions (Sr²⁺). The prepared polymer was denoted by IIP-Cu. Various physical and chemical characterizations were performed for the prepared IIP-Cu. The scanning electron microscopy and transmission electron microscopy analyses confirmed the cavities formed after the removal of the template. It also indicated that the IIP-Cu had a rough and porous topology. The X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy confirmed the successful removal of the Cu template from IIP-Cu. The Brunauer-Emmet-Teller revealed that the surface area of IIP-Cu is as high as 152.3 m²/g while the pore radius is 8.51 nm. The effect of pH indicated that the maximum adsorption of Cu²⁺ was achieved at pH 8 with 98.7%. Isotherm studies revealed that the adsorption of Cu²⁺ was best explained using Langmuir models with a maximum adsorption capacity of 159 mg/g. The effect of temperature revealed that an increase in temperature had an adverse impact on Cu²⁺ removal from the aqueous solution, which was further confirmed by thermodynamic studies. The negative value of standard enthalpy change (−4.641 kJ/mol) revealed that the adsorption of Cu²⁺ onto IIP-Cu was exothermic. While the continuous increase in Gibbs free energy from −6776 kJ/mol to −8385 kJ/mol with the increase in temperature indicated that the adsorption process was spontaneous and feasible. Lastly, the positive value of the standard entropy change (0.023 J/mol.K) suggested that the Cu²⁺ adsorption onto IIP-Cu had a good affinity at the solid-liquid surface. The efficiency of the prepared IIP-Cu was also tested by studying the adsorption capacity using Sr²⁺ and real brine water. The results revealed that IIP-Cu was able to remove 63.57% of Sr²⁺ at pH 8. While the adsorption studies revealed that the experiment was best described using the Langmuir model with a maximum adsorption capacity of 76.92 mg/g. Additionally, IIP-Cu was applied in a real brine sample, which consisted of various metal ions. The highest percentage of Cu²⁺ removal was 90.6% and the lowest was 65.63% in 1:4 and 1:1 brine ratios, respectively. However, this study indicates the successful application of IIP-Cu in a real sample when it comes to the effective and efficient removal of Cu²⁺ in a solution consisting of various competing ions.