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April 1, 2026Polymers0 citationsOpen Access

Effect of Inorganic Salts on Synthesis of Poly(glycidyl methacrylate) Microspheres, Their Functionalization with Poly(ethyleneimine) and Evaluation of Its Use for Removal of Acid Red 27, Acetaminophen and Nitrites

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JMJina M. MartínezMRMarisol RincónMPManuel Palencia

Key Points

  • The study aims to assess how inorganic salts influence the synthesis and functional properties of PGMA microspheres for contaminant removal.
  • Synthesized PGMA microspheres via suspension polymerization with N,N'-methylenebisacrylamide crosslinker.
  • Incorporated inorganic additives like NaCl, CaCO3, and MgO nanoparticles.
  • Functionalized selected microspheres with polyethyleneimine for enhanced adsorption.
  • Evaluated adsorption efficiencies for Acid Red 27, nitrites, and acetaminophen under different pH levels.
  • Solid microspheres exhibited variations in size and sphericity based on the type and concentration of inorganic additives.
  • PGMA–PEI showed high adsorption affinity for Acid Red 27 and nitrites with rapid uptake kinetics.
  • Maximum retention for Acid Red 27 was approximately 0.25 mg/g, and for nitrites was about 0.023 mg/g.
  • Electrostatic interactions predominated the adsorption process, particularly at varying pH levels.

Abstract

Poly(glycidyl methacrylate) (PGMA) is a polymer containing epoxy groups in its side chains, which makes it a suitable platform for the development of functional materials. In this study, crosslinked PGMA-based microspheres were synthesized by suspension polymerization using N,N′-methylenebisacrylamide as a crosslinker, and the effect of incorporating inorganic additives (InAds) (NaCl, CaCO3, and MgO nanoparticles) during synthesis was evaluated. In all cases, solid microspheres were obtained, exhibiting variations in particle size, sphericity, and aggregation depending on the type and amount of InAds. Thermal stability was characteristic of crosslinked PGMA (i.e., a single broad thermal transition in ~80–110 °C), while water absorption remained within a narrow range (80–120% for t = 40 min). In addition, the number of epoxy groups per gram of sample was 4.83 ± 0.02 mmol g−1. Selected microspheres were subsequently functionalized with polyethyleneimine (PEI) to obtain graft polymers (PGMA–PEI) and evaluated for the adsorption of three model contaminants: Acid Red 27 (AR-27), nitrites, and acetaminophen. PGMA–PEI showed high affinity toward AR-27 and nitrites, achieving high removal efficiencies at acidic and neutral pH, with rapid adsorption kinetics consistent with a pseudo-second-order model, attributed to electrostatic interactions between protonated amine groups and anions. At pH 11, anion desorption was promoted, enabling partial material regeneration. The results highlight the potential of PGMA–PEI microspheres for the removal of AR-27 (maximum retention ~0.25 mg of dye/g of polymer) and nitrites (maximum retention ~0.023 mg of

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Cite This Study

Martínez et al. (2026) studied this question.

synapsesocial.com/papers/69ccb59f16edfba7beb876dbhttps://doi.org/10.3390/polym18070835
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