SYNTHESIS AND PRELIMINARY EVALUATION OF CHELATING RESINS CONTAINING ALPHA-AMINOALKYLPHOSPHONIC GROUPS

Chelating polymers containing an alpha-aminobenzylphosphonic acid grou p or an alpha-aminopyridylphosphonic acid group have been prepared sta rting with a crosslinked polyaminomethylstyrene. Chemical modification was achieved via the addition of diethyl phosphonate followed by hydr olysis (Kabachnick-Fields reaction) or by the addition of phosphorous acid onto the corresponding polyimines. Preliminary evaluation of the sorption capacities towards Ca2+ and Co2+ have shown that the prepared polymers exhibit similar or slightly greater chelating properties tha n a commercial resin (Duolite ES 467). It was also found that polymers containing an alpha-aminopyridylphosphonic acid group displayed a sig nificant affinity towards Co2+, contrary to resins containing an alpha -aminobenzylphosphonic acid group.