Synthesis and characterization of a new guar gum 4‐hydroxybenzoic acid resin and its use for the separation of heavy metal ions in industrial effluents

Hydroxybenzoic acid group has been incorporated onto guar gum by modified Porath's method of functionalization of polysaccharides. The newly synthesized guar gum 4‐hydroxybenzoic acid (GHBA) resin was characterized by Fourier‐transform infrared spectroscopy, elemental analysis, ion‐exchange capacity, column reusability, and physicochemical properties. The distribution coefficient (K_d) values and effect of pH on chelation of these metal ions using batch method were studied. The separations of mixture of Fe²⁺, Zn²⁺, Cu²⁺, Cd²⁺, and Pb²⁺ metal ions on GHBA resin on the basis of their distribution coefficient at various pH were also achieved using column chromatography. The effect of experimental parameters such as pH, treatment time, agitation speed, temperature, adsorbent dose, initial metal ion concentration, and flow rate on the removal of metal ions has been also studied. GHBA resin is effective adsorbents for the removal of different toxic metal ions from aqueous solutions and follows the order: Fe²⁺ > Zn²⁺ > Cu²⁺ > Cd²⁺ > Pb²⁺. POLYM. ENG. SCI. 2013. © 2012 Society of Plastics Engineers     

Utilization of some starch derivatives in heavy metal ions removal

Three types of starch derivatives containing amide groups were used in removal of heavy metal ions from their solutions. These starch derivatives were poly(acrylamide)–starch graft copolymer, carbamoylethylated starch, and starch carbamate. The different factors affecting metal ion adsorption on these substrates, such as pH, metal ion concentration, type of starch derivatives, treatment time, and temperature, were studied. Results obtained indicate that the poly(acrylamide)–starch graft copolymer was a selective adsorbant for Hg²⁺ at pH 0.5–1. The adsorption values ofdifferent metal ions on these starch derivatives follow the order of Hg²⁺ > Cu²⁺ > Zn²⁺ > Ni²⁺ > Co²⁺ > Cd²⁺ > Pb²⁺. The adsorption values depend upon pH, type of starch derivative, treatment duration, and temperature. The adsorption efficiency percentage of metal ions on the three substrates follows the order of carbamoylethylated starch > poly(acrylamide) − starch graft copolymer > starch carbamate. © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Appl Polm Sci 69: 45–50, 1998     

Competitive Metal Ion Binding to a Silicate-Immobilized Datura innoxia Biomaterial

Abstract

Metal ion binding with a flowing system to a biosorbent comprised of cultured cell-wall fragment within a polysilicate matrix has been investigated. Solutions containing 0.10 mM Pb²⁺, Cu²⁺, Ni²⁺, Cd²⁺, and Zn²⁺ were exposed to the material in combinations of two, three, and five metals while simultaneously monitoring the concentration of all metals in the effluent stream. A relative affinity order of Pb²⁺ > Cu²⁺ >> Zn²⁺ ≈ Cd²⁺ > Ni²⁺ was determined when all five metal ions were exposed to the material. Lower-affinity metal ions were exposed to the material sequentially. Both metal-specific and common binding sites were observed for each metal ion. The presence of both binding sites that are common to all metal ions investigated and sites that appear to be unique for each metal ion could significantly impact the utility of single-metal ion studies on the application of such biosorbents for the selective removal of metal ions from natural water.     

Adsorption capacity and removal efficiency of heavy metal ions by Moso and Ma bamboo activated carbons

In order to understand the adsorption capacity and removal efficiency of heavy metal ions by Moso and Ma bamboo activated carbons, the carbon yield, specific surface area, micropore area, zeta potential, and the effects of pH value, soaking time and dosage of bamboo activated carbon were investigated in this study. In comparison with once-activated bamboo carbons, lower carbon yields, larger specific surface area and micropore volume were found for the twice-activated bamboo carbons. The optimum pH values for adsorption capacity and removal efficiency of heavy metal ions were 5.81–7.86 and 7.10–9.82 by Moso and Ma bamboo activated carbons, respectively. The optimum soaking time was 2–4 h for Pb²⁺, 4–8 h for Cu²⁺ and Cd²⁺, and 4 h for Cr³⁺ by Moso bamboo activated carbons, and 1 h for the tested heavy metal ions by Ma bamboo activated carbons. The adsorption capacity and removal efficiency of heavy metal ions of the various bamboo activated carbons decreased in the order: twice-activated Ma bamboo carbons > once-activated Ma bamboo carbons > twice-activated Moso bamboo carbons > once-activated Moso bamboo carbons. The Ma bamboo activated carbons had a lower zeta potential and effectively attracted positively charged metal ions. The removal efficiency of heavy metal ions by the various bamboo activated carbons decreased in the order: Pb²⁺ > Cu²⁺ > Cr³⁺ > Cd²⁺.     

Removal of Heavy Metal Ions from Water by Cross-Linked Potato Di-Starch Phosphate Polymer

Potato di-starch phosphate polymer was synthesized by cross-linking potato starch with phosphorus oxy-chloride in basic medium and was then dispersed (0.2-1%) in aqueous solutions of divalent heavy metal ions (Cu²⁺, Ni²⁺, Zn²⁺, and Pb²⁺), to investigate their removal efficiency by the starch and was found to increase with increase in the polymeric starch content and increase in the heavy metal ion concentration. The removal order was found to be Pb²⁺ (78.1%) > Cu²⁺ (58.5%) > Zn²⁺ (20.5%) > Ni²⁺ (17.3%) against the constant polymeric starch content. UV-Visible, Fluorescence, FT-IR, SEM, and CHN techniques were used for characterization of different complexes formed.     

Selectivity and competitive mechanism of cation exchange resin for Fe,Mg, and Al ions in phosphoric acid

The presence of iron, magnesium, and aluminum elements as the primary impurities in wet-process phosphoric acid (WPA) adversely affects the industrial phosphoric acid and subsequent phosphorus chemical products. This study aims to investigate the selectivity and competition mechanism of Sinco-430 cation exchange resin for Fe, Mg, and Al ions in phosphoric acid solution. By studying the effects of different process conditions on the removal efficiency, the suitable conditions for the static removal of metal ions from Fe-Mg, Al-Mg, and Fe-Al binary systems were determined: solid–liquid mass ratio (S/L) of 0.3, phosphoric acid concentration of 27.61 wt.%, system temperature of 50°C, and rotational speeds of 200, 400, and 200 rpm, respectively. By calculating the selectivity coefficients of the resin for metal ions under different experimental conditions and mutual replacement experiments, the semi-empirical formulas for the selectivity coefficients were derived and order of selectivity was determined as follows: Mg²⁺ > Fe²⁺ > Al³⁺. Visual MINTEQ 3.1 software and density functional theory (DFT) calculations demonstrated that at low pH, the main forms of Fe, Mg, and Al present in phosphoric acid were FeH₂PO₄⁺, Mg²⁺, and AlH₂PO₄²⁺, respectively. This finding explained the differences in selectivity of the resin for Fe, Mg, and Al. The dynamic removal of metal ions from phosphoric acid was investigated. The order of metal ion selectivity of the resin by the dynamic method is the same as that of the static method, and the dynamic exchange behaviour was most consistent with the Yan model.     

Interaction of heavy metal ions with an ion exchange resin obtained from a natural polyelectrolyte

An ion exchange resin was synthesized by using a natural polyelectrolyte, sodium alginate, and barium ion as a cross-linker reagent. Resin was characterized by TGA and SEM. Equilibrium and kinetic experiments of Pb²⁺, Hg²⁺, Ni²⁺, Co²⁺, Fe²⁺, and Fe³⁺ ions uptake by barium alginate beads were carried out in batch-type experiments under different values of pH. The removal efficiency increases with increasing pH. The uptake of metal ions occurs rapidly in the first hour. Maximum retention capacity was also determined being Fe(II) > Fe(III) > Co(II) > Ni(II) > Pb(II) > Hg(II) in mmol/g dry beads basis. Elution from the loaded resins at maximum capacity was studied by using HCl and HNO₃ as eluents at different concentrations.     

Removal of Cu2+ and Pb2+ ions from aqueous solutions by starch-graft-acrylic acid/montmorillonite superabsorbent nanocomposite hydrogels

In this study, the removal of copper(II) and lead(II) ions from aqueous solutions by Starch-graft-acrylic acid/montmorillonite (S-g-AA/MMT) nanocomposite hydrogels was investigated. For this purpose, various factors affecting the removal of heavy metal ions, such as treatment time with the solution, initial pH of the solution, initial metal ion concentration, and MMT content were investigated. The metal ion removal capacities of copolymers increased with increasing pH, and pH 4 was found to be the optimal pH value for maximum metal removal capacity. Adsorption data of the nanocomposite hydrogels were modeled by the pseudo-second-order kinetic equation in order to investigate heavy metal ions adsorption mechanism. The observed affinity order in competitive removal of heavy metals was found Cu²⁺ > Pb²⁺. The Freundlich equations were used to fit the equilibrium isotherms. The Freundlich adsorption law was applicable to be adsorption of metal ions onto nanocomposite hydrogel.     

Use of super absorbent hydrogels derivative from acrylamide with itaconic acid and itaconates to remove metal ions from aqueous solutions

Poly(acrylamide-co-itaconic acid) (AAm/IA) and poly(acrylamide-co-monomethoxyethyl itaconate) (AAm/MEI) hydrogels (HGs) synthesized at different molar ratios were used to study the adsorption of some metal ions as Cu²⁺, Ni²⁺, Pb²⁺, Cd²⁺, and Fe³⁺ in aqueous solutions at different concentration: 10, 50, 100, 500, and 1000 mg L⁻¹. Statistical analysis was performed and the effect of the metal ion, ion concentration, and hydrogel (HG) composition, on adsorption and adsorption efficiency, was evaluated for both HGs studied (AAm/IA and AAm/MEI) and each factor gave rise to significant differences (P ≤ 0.05). The adsorption depends on the type of ion, its concentration, and also influenced by the type and composition of the HGs. For each system the adsorption efficiencies for all ions were similar with exception of Fe³⁺, which showed the highest adsorption efficiency in AAm/MEI HG, but the less for the AAm/IA. For both systems, the maximum adsorption efficiency was observed when the molar ratio AAm/IA or AAm/MEI is 80/20. When the adsorption was carried out with individual ions, AAm/MEI HG was more efficient than AAm/IA. For a multielement sample of Cu²⁺, Ni²⁺, Pb²⁺, and Cd²⁺, both HGs could adsorb all the ions and their behavioral trend was the same in both cases, in which the adsorption efficiency was Pb²⁺ > Cu²⁺ > Cd²⁺ > Ni²⁺. The results of the statistical analysis evidence the advantage of its use in this type of studies. © 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2019 , 136, 46999     

Comparison of different sorbents (inorganic and biological) for the removal of Pb2+ from aqueous solutions

In an attempt to evaluate the suitability of activated sludge for Pb²⁺ removal, a comparative study was carried out using several chemical adsorbents and three types of biomass. The order of Pb²⁺ removal capacities for chemical adsorbents was found to be: ion exchange resin > zeolite > granular activated carbon (GAC) > powdered activated carbon (PAC), while for biomass the order was Aureobasidium pullulans > Saccharomyces cerevisiae > activated sludge. Although Pb²⁺ removal capacity (mg Pb²⁺ g⁻¹) of the activated sludge (30.9) was lower than those of the ion exchange resin (167.7) and other pure cultures of A pullulans (170.4) and S cerevisiae (95.3), it was higher than those of other chemical adsorbents such as GAC (26.0), PAC (2.1), and zeolite (30.2). The initial Pb²⁺ removal rates for the chemical adsorbents were in the order of PAC > GAC > zeolite > ion exchange resin, while for the biomass samples it was A pullulans > activated sludge > S cerevisiae. The initial Pb²⁺ removal rate of activated sludge was higher than those of GAC, zeolite, ion exchange resin and S. cerevisiae cells. Therefore, it was concluded that activated sludge that has been used in a municipal wastewater facility can be effectively used in heavy metal removal processes, in situ. © 2000 Society of Chemical Industry     

Competitive removal of nickel (II), cobalt (II), and zinc (II) ions from aqueous solutions by starch‐graft‐acrylic acid copolymers

Graft copolymerization of acrylic acid (AA) onto starch was carried out with ceric ammonium nitrate as initiator under nitrogen atmosphere. The grafting percentages (GP%) of starch‐graft‐acrylic acid (St‐g‐AA) copolymers were determined. The effect of GP% of St‐g‐AA copolymers on the competitive removal of Co²⁺, Ni²⁺, Zn²⁺ ions from aqueous solution was investigated at different pH (2, 4, 6). The concentrations of each ion in aqueous solution 5 mmol/L. Effects of various parameters such as treatment time, initial pH of the solution and grafting percentage of starch graft copolymers were investigated. Metal ion removal capacities of St‐g‐AA copolymers increased with GP% of the copolymers and pH. The results show that the removal of metal ions followed as given in the order Co²⁺ > Ni²⁺ > Zn²⁺. In this study, metal ion removal capacities were determined by atomic absorption spectrophotometer (AAS). © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2007     

Poly(itaconic acid)-assisted ultrafiltration of heavy metal ions’ removal from wastewater

The complexation–ultrafiltration technique has been introduced as a capable system to remove heavy metals ions from wastewater. This method needs a water-soluble polymer; therefore, in this paper we synthesized super water-soluble poly(itaconic acid) (PITA) and employed it in polymer-assisted ultrafiltration process to remove Pb(II) ions from synthetic wastewater solutions. The itaconic acid can be produced from different agricultural products and is a green and eco-friendly material. Factors influencing the removal of the metals ions including poly(itaconic acid) concentration, pH and permeate flux were investigated. The results showed that the maximum percentage of metal ion removal was obtained in the basic pH (pH > 7). The flux test was performed by 200 mg/L of poly(itaconic acid) and after 60 min, the flux of membrane was 33.4 L/m²h. The simultaneously selective removal ability of the poly(itaconic acid) for adsorption of different metal ions (Pb²⁺, Sn²⁺, Cu²⁺, Zn²⁺, and Cd²⁺) was also studied. The trend of rejection was Pb²⁺ > Cu²⁺ > Sn²⁺ > Zn²⁺ > Cd²⁺. The highest rejection of Pb(II) ions was achieved as 86%. Generally, the results of this research demonstrated that poly(itaconic acid) (with two carboxyl groups on its repeating unit) is more effective in removing heavy metals ions from wastewater in comparison with customary polymers.

     

Synthesis of polyamidoxime chelating ligand from polymer‐grafted corn‐cob cellulose for metal extraction

A conventional free‐radical initiating process was used to prepare graft copolymers from acrylonitrile (AN) with corn‐cob cellulose with ceric ammonium nitrate (CAN) as an initiator. The optimum grafting was achieved with corn‐cob cellulose (anhydroglucose unit, AGU), mineral acid (H₂SO₄), CAN, and AN at concentrations of 0.133, 0.081, 0.0145, and 1.056 mol/L, respectively. Furthermore, the nitrile functional groups of the grafted copolymers were converted to amidoxime ligands with hydroxylamine under basic conditions of pH 11 with 4 h of stirring at 70°C. The purified acrylic polymer‐grafted cellulose and polyamidoxime ligand were characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and field emission scanning electron microscopy analysis. The ligand showed an excellent copper binding capacity (4.14 mmol/g) with a faster rate of adsorption (average exchange rate = 7 min), and it showed a good adsorption capacity for other metal ions as well. The metal‐ion adsorption capacities of the ligand were pH‐dependent in the following order: Cu²⁺ > Co²⁺ > Mn²⁺ > Cr³⁺ > Fe³⁺ > Zn²⁺ > Ni²⁺. The metal‐ion removal efficiency was very high; up to 99% was removed from the aqueous media at a low concentration. These new polymeric chelating ligands could be used to remove aforementioned toxic metal ions from industrial wastewater. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2014 , 131, 40833.     

Electron Beam Grafted Polymer Adsorbent for Removal of Heavy Metal Ion from Aqueous Solution

Abstract

An electron beam grafted adsorbent was synthesized by post irradiation grafting of acrylonitrile (AN) on to a non‐woven thermally bonded polypropylene (PP) sheet using 2 MeV electron beam accelerator. The grafted poly(acrylonitrile) chains were chemically modified to convert a nitrile group to an amidoxime (AMO) group, a chelating group responsible for metal ion uptake from an aqueous solution. The effect of various experimental variables viz. dose, dose rate, temperature, and solvent composition on the grafting extent was investigated. PP grafted with the amidoxime group (AMO‐g‐PP) was tested for its suitability as an adsorbent for removal of heavy metal ions such as Co²⁺, Ni²⁺, Mn²⁺, and Cd²⁺ from aqueous solution. Langmuir and Freundlich adsorption models were used to investigate the type of adsorption of these ions. The adsorption capacities of the adsorbent for the metal ions were found to follow the order Cd²⁺>Co²⁺>Ni²⁺>Mn²⁺. The kinetics of adsorption of these ions indicated that the rate of adsorption of Cd²⁺ was faster than that of other ions studied.     

Model study of pyrite demineralization by hydrogen peroxide oxidation at 30 °C in the presence of metal ions (Ni2+, Co2+ and Sn2+)

Dissolution of pyrite involving oxidation by hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂) in the presence of metal ions (Ni²⁺, Co²⁺ and Sn²⁺) has been investigated. Before oxidation, pure and well crystalline structure of the acid washed pyrite sample, used in the present investigation, was confirmed by X-ray diffraction and chemical analysis. Oxidation of pyrite was examined by the determination of soluble sulfur. The rate of oxidation of pyrite with H₂O₂ is best represented by determining the rates of total soluble sulfur production. Each experiment was carried out for short (1–4 h) and extended (24 h) time periods. Pyrite is oxidized by H₂O₂ (1:1) up to the extent of 31.3% at short time period, which however remained the same even at extended time period. Increased amount of soluble sulfur has been observed when pyrite was oxidized by H₂O₂ (1:1) in the presence of Ni²⁺ or Co²⁺ or Sn²⁺ ion at short time period. The effectiveness of these metal ions in relation to pyrite oxidation at short time period decreases in the order Co²⁺>Sn²⁺>Ni²⁺, while at extended time period the order is Co²⁺>Ni²⁺>Sn²⁺. With Co²⁺ ion, the highest pyrite oxidation is obtained both at short (34.0%) and extended (35.0%) time period, while it is the lowest 31.3% with Ni²⁺ ion at short time and 25.3% with Sn²⁺ ion at extended time period. The effect of chloride ion on the rate of oxidation of pyrite is not pronounced in the metal ion containing systems. Substantial depletion in the concentration of externally added metal ions is in good agreement with the level of oxidation and infers certain adsorption or precipitation of metal ions on pyrite surface. The results of this study throw a new light of the influence of metal ions in the dissolution of pyrite in oxidation systems and has considerable applications in fields of demineralization, desulfurization and environmental science.     

Synthesis,Characterization and Ion Exchange Behavior of Polyaniline Stannic Silicomolybdate,an Organic–Inorganic Composite Material: Quantitative Separation of Pb<Superscript>2+</Superscript> Ions from Industrial Effluents

Polyaniline stannic silicomolybdate, an organic–inorganic composite material was synthesized by mixing polyaniline, an electrically conducting organic polymer into the matrices of inorganic precipitate of stannic silicomolybdate. The experimental parameters such as mixing volume ratio and pH were established for the synthesis of the material. The material was found granular, thus suitable for column operations. Polyaniline stannic silicomolybdate shows better ion exchange capacity and thermal stability. The exchanger was characterized on the basis of instrumental techniques such as FTIR, TGA, DTA XRD and SEM. The X-ray diffraction study showed semi-crystalline nature. The elution behavior of the material was also examined. The SEM micrographs show the difference in surface morphology of inorganic component and the composite material. Distribution coefficient studies were performed for different metal ions in varied solvent systems such as Triton X-100, trichloroacetic acid and acetic acid. The effect of temperature on the distribution coefficient was also studied. It was found that 40 °C appeared to be the most suitable temperature. The material was found to be selective for Pb²⁺ ion. On the basis of distribution coefficient values, some analytically important binary separations of metal ions viz. Mg²⁺–Pb²⁺, Zn²⁺–Pb²⁺, Cd²⁺–Pb²⁺ and Mg²⁺–Cu²⁺ were achieved on polyaniline stannic silicomolybdate columns. The practical utility of polyaniline stannic silicomolybdate was explored by achieving quantitative separation of Pb²⁺ in industrial waste effluents from battery manufacturing units.     

Conversion of coal fly ash into zeolite and heavy metal removal characteristics of the products

Fly ash obtained from a power generation plant was used for synthesizing zeolite. Zeolites could be readily synthesized from the glassy combustion residues and showed potential for the removal of heavy metal ions. By the use of different temperatures and NaOH concentration, five different zeolites were obtained: Na-P1, faujasite, hydroxy sodalite, analcime, and cancrinite. The synthesized zeolites had greater adsorption capabilities for heavy metals than the original fly ash and natural zeolites. Na-P1 exhibited the highest adsorption capacity with a maximum value of about 1.29 mmole Pb g^-1 and had a strong affinity for Pb²⁺ ion. The metal ion selectivity of Na-P1 was determined as: Pb²⁺> Cu²⁺> Cd²⁺> Zn²⁺, consistent with the decreasing order of the radius of hydrated metal ion. The adsorption isotherm for lead by Na-P1 fitted the Freundlich rather than the Langmuir isotherm.     

Competitive Removal of Heavy Metal Ions by Starch-Graft-Acrylic Acid Copolymers

Graft copolymerization of acrylic acid (AA) onto starch was carried out with ceric ammonium nitrate as initiator under nitrogen atmosphere. The structures of the synthesized graft copolymers were identified by Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The grafting percentages (GP%) of starch-graft-acrylic acid (S-g-AA) copolymers were determined. Increasing the molar concentration of AA from 0.1 to 0.5 mol/L caused a significant increase in the GP%. The effect of GP% of S-g-AA copolymers on the competitive removal of Pb²⁺, Cu²⁺, Cd²⁺ ions from aqueous solution was investigated at pH 4.5. The concentrations of each ion in aqueous solution were equal to each other, which were kept constant at 4 mmol/L. Metal ion removal capacities were determined by atomic absorption spectrophotometer (AAS). Metal ion removal capacities of S-g-AA copolymers rose with the increase in GP% of the copolymers and the order of the removal of heavy metal ions was Pb²⁺ > Cu²⁺ > Cd²⁺.     

The use of wood pulp and radiation‐modified starch in wastewater treatment

Radiation‐induced graft copolymerization of maize starch/acrylic acid has been performed. Also, natural byproduct wood pulp was used after chemical treatment for the removal of metal ions from the investigated wastewater. The surface and structure morphology of the wood pulp and starch/acrylic acid were investigated by scanning electron microscopy and infrared spectroscopy. The physical parameters, such as swelling, gel percentage, and grafting efficiency (%) of starch/acrylic acid copolymer, were studied. The factors affecting the abilities of the prepared materials for removing heavy metal ions and dyes from aqueous solutions were studied. It was found that the maximum metal uptake is in the following sequence: Fe³⁺ > Cr³⁺ > Pb²⁺ > Cd²⁺. The adsorption capacity of such investigated metal ions increases with the increase of pH values. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2006     

Poly(<Emphasis Type="SmallCaps">l</Emphasis>-lysine) as a polychelatogen to remove toxic metals using ultrafiltration and bactericide properties of poly(<Emphasis Type="SmallCaps">l</Emphasis>-lysine)–Cu<Superscript>2+</Superscript> complexes

Poly(l-lysine) is a water-soluble, synthetic polypeptide containing functional amine groups that help remove di- and trivalent metal ions from aqueous solutions. This polymer’s removal properties were studied under different experimental conditions: (1) competitive and non-competitive conditions; (2) different pHs; and (3) filtration factors. Under the conditions of the Liquid-Phase Polymer-Based Retention (LPR) technique, the cooper (II) ion interaction was found to be selective and efficient when compared to other divalent metal ions studied. However, interestingly, this selectivity disappeared when trivalent metal ions were present. The polymer–metal ion interactions are based on the amino groups of the side-chains as well as the polypeptide backbone chain. The removal of metal ions was strongly dependent on the pH. By structural characterization with FT-IR and EPR spectroscopy, participation of the amide and mainly amine groups was found to take place for the coordination. For the Cu²⁺, coordination through four amine nitrogen donor atoms in the primary coordination sphere was detected. Antibacterial activity tests were conducted with the poly(l-lysine)–Cu²⁺ complex and showed a higher activity in comparison with the precursors Cu²⁺ and poly(l-lysine) at the same concentrations for E. coli (6538P), a Gram-negative bacterium, and S. aureus (ATCC), a Gram-positive bacterium.