Polyvinylbenzyl Tris-Aminodicarboxylate Microspheres for the Optical Sensing of Cu 2+ Ions

In this work, a tris(2-aminoethyl)aminodicaboxylate functionality was substituted for the chloride of polyvinyl-benzyl chloride (PVBC) which was lightly cross-linked (2%) with divinyl benzene. The resulting derivatized polymer microspheres were embedded in a hydrogel matrix of poly vinyl alcohol cross-linked with glutaraldehyde to produce a sensing membrane. The latter responded selectively to Cu2+ solutions of different concentration ranges (1 × 10-4 M to 1 × 10-6 M). The response is based on the interaction between the metal cations and the negatively charged deprotonated dicarboxylate functional group, which led to neutralization of the charges. As a result, an increase in the turbidity of the sensing membrane occurred which is attributed to a change in the refractive index of the derivatized polymer microspheres relative to that of the hydrogel. The change in the turbidity of the sensing membrane was measured as absorbance using a conventional spectrophotometer. It was found that Cu2+ ions bind to the aminodicarboxylated-polymer with a formation constant, Kf, of 1 × 105 M-1. SEM, Eds and IR analyses were performed on the aminodicarboxylated microspheres and their Cu2+ complex.