Radiation grafting of acrylic acid and N‐vinyl imidazole onto polyethylene films for lead‐ion removal: A two‐dimensional correlation infrared spectroscopy investigation

Two‐dimensional infrared (IR) correlation spectroscopy was used to follow the γ‐radiation grafting of N ‐vinyl imidazole (VIm) and acrylic acid onto polyethylene films. Grafting was confirmed by the appearance of new characteristic IR bands at 1715, 1735, 1475, and 1405 cm^?1, which were assigned to carboxylic groups and the stretching vibrations of aromatic C?N and C? N bonds, respectively. The adsorption of lead ions by the grafted polymer increased with the degree of grafting, and it showed a tendency to be altered by both the chemical structure of the matrix polymer and the steric hindrance of Pb²⁺ ions. The previous two factors decreased the basic chelating group activity, imposed steric constraints on the formation of complexes between the Pb²⁺ and VIm groups, and controlled the coordination of Pb²⁺ with the ? COO^? groups. IR spectroscopy combined with two‐dimensional correlation spectroscopy provided a powerful tool for investigating the interactions between heavy metals and functional groups. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2017 , 134 , 44781.     

Competitive removal of Pb2+, Cd2+, and Zn2+ by poly(acrylamide‐co‐maleic acid) hydrogels/differential pulse polarographic determination

Poly(acrylamide‐co‐maleic acid) [P(AAm/MA)] hydrogels, with various compositions, were prepared from ternary mixtures of acrylamide (AAm)/maleic acid (MA)/water by using ⁶⁰Co γ‐rays. The effect of composition of these hydrogels, on the competitive removal of Pb²⁺, Cd²⁺, and Zn²⁺ ions from aqueous solution, was investigated. The hydrogel compositions and their adsorption behaviors were determined by use of differential pulse polarography, a very sensitive electroanalytical technique. It was observed that the external stimuli of pH, temperature, and ionic strength have an important role on the adsorption. The increments of MA content in P(AAm/MA) hydrogels caused a significant increase in the adsorption these ions. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 94: 2401–2406, 2004     

Swelling behavior of thermoreversible poly(N‐isopropylacrylamide‐co‐N‐vinylimidazole) hydrogels

Thermoresponsive hydrogels based on N‐isopropylacrylamide and N‐vinylimidazole were synthesized, and their swelling–deswelling behavior was studied as a function of the total monomer concentration. For copolymeric structures with better thermoresponsive properties with respect to poly(N‐isopropylacrylamide‐co‐N‐vinylimidazole) hydrogels, these hydrogels were protonated with HCl and HNO₃, and the copolymer behaviors were compared with those of the unprotonated hydrogels. The temperature was changed from 4 to 70°C at fixed pHs and total ionic strengths. The equilibrium swelling ratio, dynamic swelling ratio, and dynamic deswelling ratio were evaluated for all the hydrogels. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 94: 1619–1624, 2004     

Removal of heavy‐metal ions from aqueous solution with nanochelating resins based on poly(styrene‐alt‐maleic anhydride)

Chelating resins have been considered to be suitable materials for the recovery of heavy metals in water treatments. A chelating resin based on modified poly(styrene‐alt‐maleic anhydride) with 2‐aminopyridine was synthesized. This modified resin was further reacted with 1,2‐diaminoethan or 1,3‐diaminopropane in the presence of ultrasonic irradiation for the preparation of a tridimensional chelating resin on the nanoscale for the recovery of heavy metals from aqueous solutions. The adsorption behavior of Fe²⁺, Cu²⁺, Zn²⁺, and Pb²⁺ ions were investigated by the synthesis of chelating resins at various pH's. The prepared resins showed a good tendency for removing the selected metal ions from aqueous solution, even at acidic pH. Also, the prepared resins were examined for the removal of metal ions from industrial wastewater and were shown to be very efficient at adsorption in the cases of Cu²⁺, Fe²⁺, and Pb²⁺. However; the adsorption of Zn²⁺ was lower than those of the others. The resin was characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, X‐ray diffraction analysis, and differential scanning calorimetry analysis. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci., 2013     

Preparation of Chelating Resins Containing a Pair of Neighboring Carboxylic Acid Groups and the Adsorption Characteristics for Heavy Metal Ions

Abstract

For the functional enhancement of chelating resins containing carboxylic acids, copolymer beads were prepared by suspension polymerization of styrene (St), methyl methacrylate (MMA), and divinylbenzene (DVB) in the presence of toluene as diluent. The phenyl rings of the beads were directly chloromethylated, and the carboxylic ester groups of the beads were converted into hydroxymethyl groups by reduction followed by chlorination to give chloromethyl groups, respectively. The chelating resins containing a pair of neighboring carboxylic acid groups (NCAGs) were obtained by the alkylation of chloromethyl groups in copolymer beads with diethyl malonate in the presence of sodium hydride followed by hydrolysis using aqueous alkali solution. Accordingly, the structural effects of the resins on the adsorption of heavy metal ions were investigated. Poly(St‐co‐DVB)‐based chelating resin containing NCAGs showed adsorption abilities toward heavy metal ions like Pb²⁺, Cd²⁺, and Cu²⁺, whereas poly(MMA‐co‐DVB)‐based chelating resin containing NCAGs showed adsorption abilities toward heavy metal ions like Cu²⁺, Cd²⁺, and Co²⁺. On the other hand, poly(St‐co‐MMA‐co‐DVB)‐based chelating resin containing NCAGs showed adsorption abilities toward heavy metal ions like Pb²⁺, Cd²⁺, Hg²⁺, Co²⁺, and Cu²⁺: a synergistic effect on the adsorption of heavy metal ions like Pb²⁺, Cd²⁺, Hg²⁺, and Co²⁺ was observed. The adsorption ability of poly(St‐co‐MMA‐co‐DVB)‐based chelating resin among three kinds of chelating resins was relatively good.     

Stability constants of amidoximated chitosan‐g‐poly(acrylonitrile) copolymer for heavy metal ions

Amidoximated chitosan‐g‐poly(acrylonitrile) (PAN) copolymer was prepared by a reaction between hydroxylamine and cyano group in chitosan‐g‐PAN copolymer prepared by grafting PAN onto crosslinked chitosan with epychlorohydrine. The adsorption and desorption capacities for heavy metal ions were measured under various conditions. The adsorption capacity of amidoximated chitosan‐g‐PAN copolymer increased with increasing pH values, and was increased for Cu²⁺ and Pb²⁺ but a little decreased for Zn²⁺ and Cd²⁺ with increasing PAN grafting percentage in amidoximated chitosan‐g‐PAN copolymer. In addition, desorption capacity for all metal ions was increased with increasing pH values in contrast to the adsorption results. Stability constants of amidoximated chitosan‐g‐PAN copolymer were higher for Cu²⁺ and Pb²⁺ but lower for Zn²⁺ and Cd²⁺ than those of crosslinked chitosan. © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 73: 469–476, 1999     

Dual Cross‐Linked Hydrogels with High Strength,Toughness, and Rapid Self‐Recovery Using Dynamic Metal–Ligand Interactions

A dual cross‐linking design principle enables access to hydrogels with high strength, toughness, fast self‐recovery, and robust fatigue resistant properties. Imidazole (IMZ) containing random poly(acrylamide‐co‐vinylimidazole) based hydrogels are synthesized in the presence of Ni²⁺ ions with low density of chemical cross‐linking. The IMZ‐Ni²⁺ metal–ligand cross‐links act as sacrificial motifs to effectively dissipate energy during mechanical loading of the hydrogel. The hydrogel mechanical properties can be tuned by varying the mol% of vinylimidazole (VIMZ) in the copolymer and by changing the VIMZ/Ni²⁺ ratio. The resultant metallogels under optimal conditions (15 mol% VIMZ and VIMZ/Ni²⁺ = 2:1) show the best mechanical properties such as high tensile strength (750 kPa) and elastic modulus (190 kPa), combined with high fracture energy (1580 J m^?2) and stretchability (800–900% strain). The hydrogels are pH responsive and the extent of energy dissipation can be drastically reduced by exposure to acidic pH. These hydrogels also exhibit excellent anti‐fatigue properties (complete recovery of dissipated energy within 10 min after ten successive loading–unloading cycles at 400% strain), high compressive strength without fracture (17 MPa at 96% strain), and self‐healing capability due to the reversible dissociation and re‐association of the metal ion mediated cross‐links.     

Conductometric and viscometric investigation of poly(N‐vinylimidazole)‐metal ion complex formation

The complexation of copper (Cu²⁺), cobalt (Co²⁺), and cadmium (Cd²⁺) ions with poly(N‐vinylimidazole) (PVIm) and its protonated form in aqueous solution was studied conductometrically and viscometrically. From the conductometric and viscometric curves, it was found that four imidazole units were coordinated with one metal ion in the complex systems. Both studies showed that the complex formation tendency decreased in the following order: Cu²⁺ > Co²⁺ > Cd²⁺. Complex properties of metal ions with imidazole group were explained by referring to Pearson's treatment, as hard and soft acids and bases. © 2002 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 85: 376–384, 2002     

Microwave preparation and adsorption properties of EDTA‐modified cross‐linked chitosan

A novel chitosan‐based adsorbent (CCTE) was synthesized by the reaction between epichlorohydrin O‐cross‐linked chitosan and EDTA dianhydride under microwave irradiation (MW). The chemical structure of this new polymer was characterized by infrared spectra analysis, thermogravimetric analysis, and X‐ray diffraction analysis. The results were in agreement with the expectations. The static adsorption properties of the polymer for Pb²⁺, Cu²⁺, Cd²⁺, Ni²⁺, and Co²⁺ were investigated. Experimental results demonstrated that the CCTE had higher adsorption capacity for the same metal ion than the parent chitosan and cross‐linked chitosan. In particular, the adsorption capacities for Pb²⁺ and Cd²⁺ were 1.28 mmol/g and 1.29 mmol/g, respectively, in contrast to only 0.372 mmol/g for Pb²⁺ and 0.503 mmol/g for Cd²⁺ on chitosan. Kinetic experiments indicated that the adsorption of CCTE for the above metal ions achieved the equilibrium within 4 h. The desorption efficiencies of the metal ions on CCTE were over 93%. Therefore, CCTE is an effective adsorbent for the removal and recovery of heavy metal ions from industrial waste solutions. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2010     

Poly (acrylic acid-co-acryloyl tetrasodium thiacalix[4]arene tetrasulfonate) grafted dextrin: new supper metal ion adsorbing hydrogels

Dextrin as a biodegradable natural polymer has hydrophilic nature that capable to increase the swelling properties and biodegradability of the synthetic hydrogels. This study describes the synthesis of a poly (acrylic acid-co-acryloyl tetrasodium thiacalix[4]arene tetrasulfonate) grafted dextrin superabsorbent hydrogels (ADA) via solution polymerization. The effects of acryloyl tetrasodium thiacalix[4]arene tetrasulfonate (ACSTCA) dose (20–60) on swelling properties of the hydrogels were studied. The synthesized hydrogels were characterized by FTIR, TGA, DMTA and rheometry. The metal ion removal capacity of the gels was investigated by atomic absorption for Cd²⁺, Pb²⁺, and Hg²⁺. The tendency of metal ions adsorption decreased in the order of Pb²⁺>Cd²⁺>Hg²⁺. The effect of key operating parameters including ACSTCA content, contact time, adsorbent dosage, solution pH, and crosslinker density was experimentally studied on Pb²⁺ adsorption from aqueous solution. The equilibrium data was analyzed using Langmuir and Freundlich adsorption isotherms. Our experimental data are in best agreement with Freundlich isotherms, and adsorption of metal cation onto hydrogel followed a pseudo second-order kinetic model. According to the thermodynamic parameters, the adsorption of Pb²⁺ occurred spontaneously. The hydrogels could be regenerated after releasing heavy metal ions, and reused 5 times with less than 7 % loss of adsorption capacity.     

Reactive green HE‐4BD functionalized supermacroporous poly(hydroxyethyl methacrylate) cryogel for heavy metal removal

The aim of this study was to investigate the heavy metal adsorption performance of supermacroporous poly(hydroxyethyl methacrylate) [PHEMA] cryogel. The PHEMA cryogel was produced by cryo‐polymerization. The PHEMA cryogel was characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The PHEMA cryogel containing 385 μmol Reactive Green HE‐4BD/g were used in the adsorption studies. Adsorption capacity of the PHEMA cryogel for the metal ions, i.e., Cu²⁺, Cd²⁺, and Pb²⁺ were investigated in aqueous media containing different amounts of the ions (5–600 mg/L) and at different pH values (3.2–6.9). The maximum adsorption capacities of the PHEMA cryogel were 11.6 mg/g (56 μmol/g) for Pb²⁺, 24.5 mg/g (385 μmol/g) for Cu²⁺ and 29.1 mg/g (256 μmol/g) for Cd²⁺. The competitive adsorption capacities were 10.9 mg/g (52 μmol/g) for Pb²⁺, 22.1 mg/g for Cd²⁺ (196 μmol/g) and 23.2 mg/g (365 μmol/g) for Cu²⁺. The PHEMA/Reactive Green HE‐4BD cryogel exhibited the following metal ion affinity sequence on molar basis: Cu²⁺ > Cd²⁺ > Pb²⁺. The PHEMA/Reactive Green HE‐4BD cryogel can be easily regenerated by 50 mM EDTA with higher effectiveness. These features make the PHEMA/Reactive Green HE‐4BD cryogel a potential adsorbent for heavy metal removal. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2010     

Adsorption of Cu2+ ions with poly(N‐isopropylacrylamide‐co‐methacrylic acid) micro/nanoparticles

Chelation efficiency of stimuli‐responsive poly(N‐iospropylacrylamide‐co‐methyacrylic acid) (PNIPAAm‐MAA) nanoparticles with Cu²⁺ ions from CuSO₄·5H₂O solution and from wood treated with copper‐based preservatives was studied. It was shown that particle size played a very important role in the adsorption process. The nano‐scale particles showed much improved Cu ion adsorption efficiency, compared with the micro hydrogels. The amount of Cu ion adsorption increased with increase of MAA ratio in copolymers and adsorption efficiency decreased with increased particle size. Furthermore, the adsorption amount varied with adsorption temperature at temperatures both below and above the corresponding low critical solution temperature (LCST). The high adsorption efficiency of Cu ions by PNIPAAm‐MAA polymer particles provides an effective technique for recovering metal ions (e.g., Cu²⁺) from wood treated with metal‐based preservatives. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2008     

Thiourea modified hyper‐crosslinked polystyrene resin for heavy metal ions removal from aqueous solutions

A hyper‐crosslinked resin chemically modified with thiourea (TM‐HPS) was synthesized, characterized, and evaluated for the removal of heavy metal ions (Pb²⁺, Cd²⁺, and Cu²⁺) from aqueous solutions. The structural characterization results showed that a few thiourea groups were grafted on the surface of the resin with a big BET surface area and a large number of narrow micropores. Various experimental conditions such as pH, contact time, temperature, and initial metal concentration of the three heavy metal ions onto TM‐HPS were investigated systematically. The results indicated that the prepared resin was effective for the removal of the heavy metal ions from aqueous solutions. The isotherm data could be better fitted by Langmuir model, yielding maximum adsorption capacities of 689.65, 432.90, and 290.69 mg/g for Pd²⁺, Cd²⁺, and Cu²⁺, respectively. And the adsorption kinetics of the three metal ions followed the pseudo‐second‐order equation. FTIR and XPS analysis of TM‐HPS before and after adsorption further revealed that the adsorption mechanism could be a synergistic effect between functional groups and metal ions and electrostatic attraction, which may provide a new insight into the design of highly effective adsorbents and their potential technological applications for the removal of heavy metal ions from aqueous solutions. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2018 , 135, 45568.     

Determination of the competitive adsorption of heavy metal ions on poly(n‐vinyl‐2‐pyrrolidone/acrylic acid) hydrogels by differential pulse polarography

Poly(N‐vinyl‐2‐pyrrolidone) and poly(N‐vinyl‐2‐pyrrolidone/acrylic acid) hydrogels were prepared by gamma irradiation for the removal of heavy metal ions (i.e., lead, copper, zinc, and cadmium) from aqueous solutions containing different amounts of these ions (2.5–10 mg/L) and at different pH values (1–13). The observed affinity order in adsorption of these metal ions on the hydrogels was Zn(II) > Pb(II) > Cu(II) > Cd(II) under competitive conditions. The optimal pH range for the heavy metal ions was from 7 to 9. The adsorption of the heavy metal ions decreased with increasing temperature in both water and synthetic seawater conditions. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 89: 2013–2018, 2003     

Dithiocarbamate functionalized Al(OH)3‐polyacrylamide adsorbent for rapid and efficient removal of Cu(II) and Pb(II)

Heavy metal ions such as Cu²⁺ and Pb²⁺ impose a significant risk to the environment and human health due to their high toxicity and non‐degradable characteristics. Herein, Al(OH)₃‐polyacrylamide chemically modified with dithiocarbamates (Al‐PAM‐DTCs) was synthesized using formaldehyde, diethylenetriamine, carbon disulfide, and sodium hydroxide for rapid and efficient removal of Cu²⁺ and Pb²⁺. The synthesized adsorbent was characterized by Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, thermogravimetric analysis, scanning electron microscopy–energy dispersive X‐ray spectroscopy analysis, and transmission electron microscope measurements. Al‐PAM‐DTCs showed rapid removal of Cu²⁺ (<30 min) and Pb²⁺ (<15 min) with high adsorption capacities of 416.959 mg/g and 892.505 mg/g for Cu²⁺ and Pb²⁺ respectively. Al‐PAM‐DTCs also had high capacities in removing suspended solids and metal ions simultaneously in turbid bauxite suspensions. FTIR, thermodynamic study, and elemental mapping were used to determine the adsorption mechanism. The rapid, convenient, and effective adsorption of Cu²⁺ and Pb²⁺ indicated that Al‐PAM‐DTCs has great potential for practical applications in purification of other heavy metal ions from aquatic systems. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2017 , 134, 45431.     

Recovery of heavy metals from aqueous solution by using radiation crosslinked poly(vinyl alcohol)

Crosslinked poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) and PVA/acrylic acid hydrogels, prepared by γ‐irradiation, were used in the removal of heavy metals from aqueous solution. Comparative studies of the properties of the two hydrogels were made. The application of the prepared hydrogels as adsorbent materials for Cu²⁺, Co²⁺, and Ni²⁺ from aqueous solution was studied. The chemical and physical properties of the hydrogels, before and after adsorption of the heavy metal ions, were investigated by means of thermogravimetric analysis, differential scanning calorimetry, and scanning electron microscopy. The efficiency of such hydrogels for the recovery of metal ions was determined by atomic absorption and UV spectroscopic analysis. The effect of changing pH on the metal uptake was also studied. It was found that the prepared hydrogels have a substantial ability to adsorb metal ions from their solution. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 94: 1649–1656, 2004     

Chemical modification of polypropylene fibers grafted vinyl imidazole/acrylonitrile copolymer prepared by gamma radiation and its possible use for the removal of some heavy metal ions

The chemical modification of polypropylene (PP) fibers by graft copolymerization with vinylimidazole (VIm) and acrylonitrile (AN) was carried out using γ‐radiation. Preparation conditions, such as irradiation dose, comonomer concentration and composition and type of solvent, affecting the degree of grafting were investigated. The suitable diluent for obtaining reasonable graft VIm/AN copolymer yield was acetone. The higher grafted yield was achieved by increasing the amount of vinylimidazole in comonomer feed solution as well as irradiation dose. The derivatives of PP‐g‐P(VIm/AN) grafted fibers of different functional groups were obtained by treating the grafted fibers with various organic reagents containing reactive amino groups, such as sulpha‐drug compounds, aliphatic‐ and aromatic amines. Characterization of the obtained graft copolymers and their chemical treatments with different amines was also investigated. It was observed that the nitrile group in PP‐g‐P(VIm/AN) polymer undergoes simple addition reaction via nucleophilic interaction mechanism to produce the corresponding PP‐graft‐P(vinylimidazole/acrylomidine) derivatives. The ability of the grafted fibers and their treated forms to absorb some metal ions as Cd, Hg, and Pb from their individual and mixture solutions was evaluated. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2009.     

Removal of heavy metal ions from aqueous solutions by radiation‐induced chitosan/(acrylamidoglycolic acid‐co‐acrylic acid) magnetic nanopolymer

An effective method was developed to isolate toxic heavy metal ions from the aqueous solution by the magnetic nanopolymers. The magnetic sorbent was prepared with radiation‐induced crosslinking polymerization of chitosan (CS), 2‐acrylamido‐glycolic acid (AMGA), and acrylic acid (AAc), which stabilized by magnetite (Fe₃O₄) as nanoparticles. The formation of magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs) into the hydrogel networks was confirmed by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, X‐ray diffraction, transmission electron microscopy, and Scanning electron microscopy, which revealed the formation of MNPs throughout the hydrogel networks. The swelling behavior of the hydrogels and magnetic ones was evaluated at different pH values. The adsorption activity for heavy metals such as Cu²⁺ and Co²⁺ by nonmagnetic and magnetic hydrogels, Fe₃O₄/CS/(AMGA‐co‐AAc), in terms of adsorption amount was studied. It was revealed that hydrogel networks with magnetic properties can effectively be used in the removal of heavy metal ions pollutants and provide advantageous over conventional ones. POLYM. ENG. SCI., 55:1441–1449, 2015. © 2015 Society of Plastics Engineers     

Preparation and coordination behavior of cellulose beads derivative modified by 1,5‐diaminoethyl‐3‐hydroxy‐1,5‐diazacycloheptane

Cellulose derivative (MPCN) modified by 1,5‐diaminoethyl‐3‐hydroxy‐1,5‐diazacycloheptane (DADN) was prepared and characterized by scanning electron microscopy and elemental, and infrared analysis. MPCN and its Cu²⁺, Pb²⁺ complexes were characterized by thermogravimetric and differential thermal analysis. The coordination adsorption behavior of MPCN with divalent copper and lead ions was determined. The effects of temperature, initial pH value, and the concentration of MPCN ligand to the equilibrium adsorption were discussed. The optimum pH range of the coordination adsorption of MPCN with Cu²⁺ and Pb²⁺ is 5–6. The rate constants of the coordination reaction were found. At 323 K, the rate constant is 1.0 × 10⁻³ and 7.0 × 10⁻⁴ s⁻¹ for Cu²⁺ and Pb²⁺, respectively. The thermodynamic parameters of the coordination reaction were obtained based on the experiment data of the adsorption isotherms. The coordination reaction was performed spontaneously from the data of ΔG, as follows: −21.65 and −19.41 kJ/mol and ΔS, 87.06 and 67.92 J/mol K for Cu²⁺ and Pb²⁺, respectively. The coordination ratio of DADN coordination group immobilized on cellulose beads with either metal ion is about 1 : 2 from the plot of the relation of lgD versus lgL and the capacity of saturation adsorption. © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 74: 1278–1285, 1999     

Synthesis and characterization of poly(N‐vinyl imidazole) hydrogels crosslinked by gamma irradiation

Crosslinked poly(N‐vinyl imidazole) (PVIm) hydrogels in the form of rods have been prepared by ⁶⁰Co γ‐radiation initiated simultaneous polymerization and crosslinking of N‐vinyl imidazole in bulk and water. In binary aqueous systems, the percentage gelation decreased with increasing water content. The PVIm hydrogels synthesized were further protonated in HCl solutions of different concentration. PVIm and protonated PVIm (H‐PVIm) hydrogels have been characterized using spectroscopic and thermal methods, and the swelling behaviour of these two types of hydrogel has been investigated. PVIm hydrogels originally swelled to 600% (by volume) but in their protonated form at pH 7.0 reached 4000% swelling. © 2002 Society of Chemical Industry