New benzyloxyethyl cellulose (BEC) crosslinked EDTA: synthesis, characterization and application for supramolecular self-assembling nanoencapsulation of Pb (II)

Abstract Cellulosic derivatives-modification by Ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid dianhydride (EDTAD) leads to an advanced state of the crosslinking degree, which often limits the adsorbent-metal ion interactions at the superficial level. Moreover, the specific area decreases by increasing crosslinking degree, resulting in a degradation of the adsorptive properties of the materials. In the present work, a new synthesis strategy of crosslinkedcellulose derivative with Ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA) was proposed. The preparation of the adsorbent was based on the hydrophobation of hydroxyethyl cellulose (HEC) by partial benzylation (DS ∼ 1). This helped to obtain a new cellulose derivative (Benzyloxyethyl cellulose (BEC)) soluble in the majority of the usual solvents, and the EDTA grafting reaction was performed under homogeneous conditions to ensure homogenous distribution of the chelating sites. The resulting BEC-EDTA material was then characterized by FT-IR, SEM and TGA. Thus, the Pb (II)-adsorption behavior on the bio-adsorbent was studied at the supramolecular level and the study of changes in adsorbent morphology before and after modification was performed based on SEM images and EDX spectra. Effect of Pb (II) on BEC-EDTA morphology was investigated as well. However, a self-assembly of BEC-EDTA as nanometric rods in the presence of Pb (II) ions was a strong indication of the Pb (II) nano-encapsulation in a stable polymer network.