Preparation and properties of three novel poly(phosphazene‐aryl amide)s containing cyclotriphosphazene structures

1,1,3,5‐tetraphenoxy‐3,5‐bis(4‐aminoanilino)cyclotriphosphazene, 1,1,3,5‐tetraphenoxy‐3,5‐bis[4‐(4‐aminophenysulfone)anilino)]cyclotriphosphazene, and 1,1,3,5‐tetraphenoxy‐3,5‐bis(N,N′‐ethanediamine)cyclotriphosphazene were synthesized in two steps from the p‐Phenylenediamine, 4,4′‐diaminodiphenylsulfone, and ethylenediamine via nucleophilic substitution and catalytic reduction with hexachlorocyclotriphosphazene. Three novel aromatic polyamides such as poly(cyclotriphosphazene‐p‐phenylene amide), poly(cyclotriphosphazene‐p‐sulfuryl amide), and poly(cyclotriphosphazene‐ethyl amide) were synthesized from these diamines by direct polycondensation reaction with terephthaloyl chloride and pyridine in N‐methyl pyrrolidone, respectively. The chemical structures of the diamine monomers and three novel poly(cyclotriphosphazene‐aryl amide)s were characterized by Fourier Transform Infrared, (¹H and ³¹P) Nuclear Magnetic Resonance, and Elemental Analysis. The thermal properties of the polyamides were determined by Differential Scanning Calorimetry and Thermogravimetric Analysis (TGA). The crystallization behaviors of the polyamides were studied by Wide‐ray X‐ray diffraction, and the morphology of the pyrolysis residues were observed by Scanning Electron Microscope. The three poly(cyclotriphosphazene‐aryl amide)s with amorphous structure would exhibit an enhanced solubility in polar aprotic solvents and a superior thermal stability with initial decomposition temperature being at about 198–259°C. TGA curves of the poly(cyclotriphosphazene‐aryl amide)s exhibit mainly three thermal decomposition steps, and the poly(cyclotriphosphazene‐p‐phenylene amide) presents the highest solid residue rate 62.6% heated to 600°C. In the morphology analysis of the poly(cyclotriphosphazene‐aryl amide) solid residues, organophosphorus gelatum forms in the surface layer were observed. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci., 2013     

In situ injectable poly(γ‐glutamic acid) based biohydrogel formed by enzymatic crosslinking

Enzymatic crosslinking was developed to prepare in situ forming poly(γ‐glutamic acid) (γ‐PGA) based hydrogel in this study. First, the precursor of poly(γ‐glutamic acid)–tyramine (γ‐PGA–Ty) was synthesized through the reaction of carboxyl groups from a γ‐PGA backbone with tyramine. The structure of the grafted precursor was confirmed by ¹H‐NMR and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. After that, the crosslinking of the phenol‐containing γ‐PGA–Ty precursor was triggered by horseradish peroxidase in the presence of H₂O₂; this resulted in the formation of the γ‐PGA–Ty hydrogels. The equilibrium water content, morphology, enzymatic degradation rate, and mechanical properties of the hydrogels were characterized in detail. The data revealed that the well‐interconnected hydrogels had tunable water contents, mechanical properties, and degradability through adjustments of the composition. Furthermore, cell experiments proved the biocompatibility of the hydrogels by 3‐(4,5‐dimethylthiazol‐2‐yl)‐2,5‐diphenyltetrazolium bromide assay. These characteristics provide an opportunity for the in situ formation of injectable biohydrogels as potential candidates in cell encapsulation and drug delivery. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2015 , 132, 42301.     

Fabrication of co‐continuous poly(ε‐caprolactone)/polyglycolide blend scaffolds for tissue engineering

The apparent inability of a single biomaterial to meet all the requirements for tissue engineering scaffolds has led to continual research in novel engineered biomaterials. One method to provide new materials and fine‐tune their properties is via mixing materials. In this study, a biodegradable powder blend of poly(ε‐caprolactone) (PCL), polyglycolide (PGA), and poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO) was prepared and three‐dimensional interconnected porous PCL/PGA scaffolds were fabricated by combining cryomilling and compression molding/polymer leaching techniques. The resultant porous scaffolds exhibited co‐continuous morphologies with ～50% porosity. Mean pore sizes of 24 and 56 μm were achieved by varying milling time. The scaffolds displayed high mechanical properties and water uptake, in addition to a remarkably fast degradation rate. The results demonstrate the potential of this fabrication approach to obtain PCL/PGA blend scaffolds with interconnected porosity. In general, these results provide significant insight into an approach that will lead to the development of new composites and blends in scaffold manufacturing. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2015 , 132, 42471.     

Synthesis and characterization of polyaspartic acid–glutamic acid grafted copolymers and their performances as detergent builder

Polysuccinimide (PSI) was first synthesized via thermal polycondensation reaction using maleic anhydride and urea as the starting materials. Then, polyaspartic acid–glutamic acid (PASP–GLU) grafted copolymers were prepared from PSI and GLU. The structure of PASP–GLU was characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. The molecular weight was measured by gel permeation chromatography, and the crystallinity was analyzed by X‐ray diffraction spectra. The effects of grafting ratio on the builder performances were systematically studied, as well as on the thermal property and biodegradability. It is demonstrated that as the grafting ratio of GLU increases, the thermal stability and biodegradability decrease a little, but still maintain in high level. Most importantly, the incorporation of GLU into side chains significantly improves the builder performance of PASP–GLU. The maximum values for calcium ion chelating power, dispersion power of CaCO₃, and alkali‐buffer ability reach 233.2 mg, 108.9 mg, and 1.70 mL, respectively, at the highest grafting ratio, in which the dispersion power of CaCO₃ and alkali‐buffer ability are even better than that of sodium tripolyphosphate. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2014 , 131, 40282.     

Thermally crosslinked anionic hydrogels composed of poly(vinyl alcohol) and poly(γ‐glutamic acid): Preparation,characterization, and drug permeation behavior

pH‐sensitive anionic hydrogels composed of poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) and poly(γ‐glutamic acid) (γ‐PGA) were prepared by the freeze drying method and thermally crosslinked to suppress hydrogel deformation in water. The physical properties, swelling, and drug‐diffusion behaviors were characterized for the hydrogels. In the equilibrium swelling study, PVA/γ‐PGA hydrogels shrunk in pH regions below the pK_a (2.27) of γ‐PGA, whereas they swelled above the pK_a. In the drug‐diffusion study, the drug permeation rates of the PVA/γ‐PGA hydrogels were directly proportional to their swelling behaviors. The cytocompatibility test showed no cytotoxicity of the PVA/γ‐PGA hydrogels for the 3T3 fibroblast cell lines. The results of these studies suggest that hydrogels prepared from PVA and γ‐PGA could be used as orally administrable drug‐delivery systems. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2008     

Electrical properties of sorbitol‐doped poly(vinyl alcohol)–poly(acrylamide‐co‐acrylic acid) polymer membranes

Solid polymer membranes from poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) and poly(acrylamide‐co‐acrylic acid) (PAA) with varying doping ratios of sorbitol were prepared using the solution casting method. The films were examined with Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, thermogravimetric analysis, differential scanning calorimetry, and AC impedance spectroscopy. The impedance measurements showed that the ionic conductivity of PVA–PAA polymer membrane can be controlled by controlled doping of sorbitol within the polymer blends. The PVA–PAA–sorbitol membranes were found to exhibit excellent thermal properties and were stable for a wide temperature range (398–563K), which creates a possibility of using them as suitable polymers for device applications. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci., 2013     

Preparation of poly(vinyl amine)‐grafted crosslinked poly(vinyl alcohol) microspheres

Crosslinked poly(vinyl alcohol) (CPVA) microspheres were first prepared via the suspension polymerization of vinyl acetate and the alcoholysis of poly(vinyl acetate). Afterwards, a two‐step method involving graft polymerization and Hofmann degradation was used to prepare functional poly(vinyl amine)‐grafted crosslinked poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVAm–CPVA) microspheres, onto which poly(vinyl amine) (PVAm) macromolecules were grafted. The graft polymerization of acrylamide (AM) on CPVA microspheres was performed with cerium salt as the initiator in an acidic aqueous medium, resulting in polyacrylamide (PAM)‐grafted CPVA microspheres. Subsequently, the grafted PAM was transformed into PVAm via the Hofmann degradation reaction, and PVAm–CPVA microspheres were prepared. The effects of the main factors on the graft polymerization and Hofmann degradation were examined, and the reaction mechanisms were researched in depth. The experimental results showed that for the graft polymerization of AM on CPVA microspheres initiated by cerium salt, the acid concentration and the amount of cerium salt affected the grafting degree of PAM greatly. For the Hofmann degradation reaction of the grafted PAM, the amination degree of PVAm–CPVA microspheres was obviously affected by the amount of sodium hypochlorite in the presence of sodium hydroxide. The preliminary adsorption tests showed that PVAm–CPVA microspheres were multifunctional and had strong adsorption ability for Fe(III) ions by chelation action and for chromate ions (CrO) by strong electrostatic interactions. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2009     

Synthesis and spectroscopic and photoconduction characteristics of coaxial poly[2‐methoxy‐5‐(2′‐ethylhexyloxy)−1,4‐phenylene vinylene] single‐walled carbon nanotube films with ohmic‐like transport attributes

Highly luminescent, core–shell, single‐walled carbon nanotube–poly[2‐methoxy‐5‐(2′‐ethylhexyloxy)?1,4‐phenylene vinylene] (MEH‐PPV) one‐dimensional networks were synthesized by a multicycle unstable micellization method. The current–voltage data indicated that the charge transport within the nanowire network remained Ohmic, with the differential conductance scaling linearly with temperature in the temperature range of about 120 to 300 K. Further analysis based on the comparative study involving photoluminescence and Raman spectroscopic tests pointed to interchain interactions and nanotube–polymer interface as primary factors influencing the electronic characteristics of the processed samples. Likewise, steady‐state photoconduction tests confirmed that the heterointerface played a dominant role behind the increased photoresponse induced by exciton annihilation at a low bias regime. The study helped us identify the underlying physical mechanisms that controlled the optical, electrical, and photoconduction properties of the MEH‐PPV–carbon nanotube heteronetworks. Potentially, this will open a door to the development of next generation, low‐cost, all‐organic nanooptoelectronic devices and systems. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci., 2014 , 131, 40029.     

Biocomposites based on poly(lactic acid) and seaweed wastes from agar extraction: Evaluation of physicochemical properties

Seaweed waste (SWW) is a residue or by‐product from the filtration step of the agar extraction process, and it has been explored as an inexpensive and effective filler for incorporation by melt blending into a poly(lactic acid) (PLA) matrix. PLA‐SWW biocomposites were manufactured with various contents of SWW (0, 5, 10, 15, and 20 wt %) using a sheet extrusion process. PLA was functionalized with maleic anhydride (MAH) by reactive extrusion using dicumyl peroxide (DCP) as an initiator, and it was extruded using 0, 5, and 20 wt %. SWW content. The mechanical, thermal, structural, and morphological properties of the processed biocomposites were investigated. Regarding the mechanical behavior, a slight increase in the tensile modulus was observed at low SWW content. The thermal properties indicated that the rigid amorphous phase content was enhanced in the biocomposites. This work suggests that SWW can be used as filler to develop environmental friendly biocomposites. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2015 , 132, 42320.     

Improvement of microstructures and properties of poly(lactic acid)/poly(ε‐caprolactone) blends compatibilized with polyoxymethylene

Incompatibility of poly(lactic acid)/poly(?‐caprolactone) (PLA/PCL) (80:20) and (70:30) blends were modified by incorporation of a small amount of polyoxymethylene (POM) (≤3 phr). Impact of POM on microstructures and tensile property of the blends were investigated. It is found that the introduction of POM into the PLA/PCL blends significantly improves their tensile property. With increasing POM loading from zero to 3 phr, elongation at break increases from 93.2% for the PLA/PCL (70:30) sample to 334.8% for the PLA/PCL/POM (70:30:3) sample. A size reduction in PCL domains and reinforcement in interfacial adhesion with increasing POM loading are confirmed by SEM observations. The compatibilization effect of POM on PLA/PCL blends can be attributed to hydrogen bonding between methylene groups of POM and carbonyl groups of PLA and PCL. In addition, nonisothermal and isothermal crystallization behaviors of PLA/PCL/POM (70:30:x) samples were investigated by using differential scanning calorimetry and wide angle X‐ray diffraction measurements. The results indicate that the crystallization dynamic of PLA matrix increases with POM loadings. It can be attributed to the fact that POM crystals have a nucleating effect on PLA. While crystallization temperature is 100 °C, crystallization half‐time can reduce from 9.4 to 2.0 min with increasing POM loading from zero to 3 phr. © 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2018 , 135, 46536.     

Crystallization behavior and polymorphism of poly(1,4‐butylene adipate): Effect of anhydrous orotic acid as nucleating agent

The effect of anhydrous orotic acid (OA), as a biocompatible nucleating agent (NA), on the non‐isothermal and isothermal crystallization behaviors, polymorphic crystalline structure and phase transition of poly(1,4‐butylene adipate) (PBA) was investigated. It is found that the OA increased the crystallization temperature of the PBA in the non‐isothermal crystallization process and decreased the crystallization time of the PBA in the isothermal crystallization process. Meanwhile, the spherulite size decreased and spherulite density increased for the PBA. The OA favored the formation of the PBA α‐form crystal, compared to the neat PBA. In addition, upon incorporation of the OA, the β‐to‐α phase transition rate was enhanced significantly. Mechanisms for the preferential formation of the PBA α‐form crystal and the accelerated phase transition have also been proposed. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2016 , 133, 42957.     

Preparation and characterization of hydrophilic and antifouling poly(ether sulfone) ultrafiltration membranes modified with Zn–Al layered double hydroxides

Zn–Al layered double hydroxide (LDH)‐entrapped poly(ether sulfone) (PES) ultrafiltration membranes with four different weight percentages, 0.5, 1.0, 2.0, and 3.0%, were prepared by a phase‐inversion method. Characterization by scanning electron microscopy, atomic force microscopy and contact angle (CA), equilibrium water content, porosity, average pore size, mechanical strength, and ζ potential measurement were used to evaluate the morphological structure and physical and chemical properties of membranes. Static protein adsorption, filtration, and rejection experiments were conducted to study the antifouling properties, water permeability, and removal ability of the modified membranes. The results show that significant change occurred in the membrane morphology and that better hydrophilicity, water permeability, and antifouling ability were also achieved for the PES/LDH membranes when a proper amount of LDH was used. For example, the CA value decreased from 66.60 to 50.21°, and the pure water flux increased from 80.21 to 119.10 L m^?2 h^?1 bar^?1 when the LDH loading was increased from 0 to 2.0 wt %. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2016 , 133, 43988.     

Polyelectrolyte complex hydrogel composed of chitosan and poly(γ‐glutamic acid) for biological application: Preparation,physical properties,and cytocompatibility

Polyelectrolyte complex (PEC) hydrogels composed of chitosan as a cationic polyelectrolyte and poly (γ‐glutamic acid) (γ‐PGA) as an anionic polyelectrolyte were prepared from PEC dispersions based on a chitosan solution to which different amounts of γ‐PGA solutions were added to charge equivalency. The chemical structures of the PEC hydrogels were investigated by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. The physical properties, fixed charge concentration, crystallinity, mechanical properties, micromorphology, and swelling properties of the PEC hydrogels were also investigated. The total fixed charge concentration of the PEC hydrogels varied as a function of pH on the pK intervals between chitosan (pK = 6.5) and γ‐PGA (pK = 2.27). The isoelectric points (IEP) were shifted to a lower pH with a higher weight ratio of γ‐PGA to chitosan. The elastic modulus was decreased with the weight ratio increasing from 0 : 1 to 1 : 1 (γ‐PGA/chitosan) by ionic crosslinking between the amino groups of chitosan and the carboxyl groups of γ‐PGA. The results of the swelling study showed that the swelling properties of PEC hydrogels were more affected by the change in the elastic restoring force than by the change in the fixed charge concentration depending on the pH. Also, the cytotoxicity of the PEC hydrogels was investigated using normal human dermal fibroblast (NHDF) cell lines, and the results showed the PEC hydrogels were not toxic. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 103:386–394, 2007     

Catalyzed chain extension of poly(butylene adipate) and poly(butylene succinate) with 2,2′‐(1,4‐phenylene)‐bis(2‐oxazoline)

Low‐molecular‐weight HOOC‐terminated poly(butylene adipate) prepolymer (PrePBA) and poly(butylene succinate) prepolymer (PrePBS) were synthesized through melt‐condensation polymerization from adipic acid or succinic acid with butanediol. The catalyzed chain extension of these prepolymers was carried out at 180–220°C with 2,2′‐(1,4‐phenylene)‐bis(2‐oxazoline) as a chain extender and p‐toluenesulfonic acid (p‐TSA) as a catalyst. Higher molecular weight polyesters were obtained from the catalyzed chain extension than from the noncatalyzed one. However, an improperly high amount of p‐TSA and a high temperature caused branching or a crosslinking reaction. Under optimal conditions, chain‐extended poly(butylene adipate) (PBA) with a number‐average molecular weight up to 29,600 and poly(butylene succinate) (PBS) with an intrinsic viscosity of 0.82 dL/g were synthesized. The chain‐extended polyesters were characterized by IR spectroscopy, ¹H‐NMR spectroscopy, differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), thermogravimetric analysis, wide‐angle X‐ray scattering, and tensile testing. DSC, wide‐angle X‐ray scattering, and thermogravimetric analysis characterization showed that the chain‐extended PBA and PBS had lower melting temperatures and crystallinities and slower crystallization rates and were less thermally stable than PrePBA and PrePBS. This deterioration of their properties was not harmful enough to impair their thermal processing properties and should not prevent them from being used as biodegradable thermoplastics. The tensile strength of the chain‐extended PBS was about 31.05 MPa. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2010     

Effect of aliphatic diacyl adipic dihydrazides on the crystallization of poly(lactic acid)

A series of aliphatic diacyl adipic dihydrazides (ADHs) with different alkyl moieties were synthesized by the reaction between adipic dihydrazide and acyl chloride. Then these ADHs were solution blended with PLA respectively and were evaluated as nucleating agents. Through the investigation of nonisothermal and isothermal crystallization, it was found that both the crystallization rate and the crystallinity of PLA could be enhanced by adding only 1 wt % of ADHs. Especially for ADH‐Oc (ADH‐Octyl), the crystallization rate of PLA increased about 4 times at 105°C. Optical morphology showed that and the size of PLA spherulites decreased and the nucleation density increased with the existence of ADH‐Oc. Meanwhile, the crystal structure of PLA were not discerniblly affected after the addition of ADHs as found by wide‐angle X‐ray diffraction. Thus, this study suggested these ADHs compounds are simple and potential nucleating agents to enhance crystallization ability of PLA. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2015 , 132, 42028.     

Preparation and properties of hydrophobic poly(vinylidene fluoride)–SiO2 mixed matrix membranes for dissolved oxygen removal from water

The application of the membrane method for removing dissolved oxygen (DO) from water on the laboratory scale was studied. Flat mixed matrix membranes were composed of poly(vinylidene fluoride) (PVDF) and hydrophobic nanosilica particles, which were used to improve the DO removal process. The SiO₂ particles were modified by a silane coupling agent and examined by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. It was shown that the surface of the SiO₂ particles was bonded to hydrophobic long‐chain alkane groups through chemical bonding. The effects of adding SiO₂ particles on the membrane properties and morphology were examined. The results show that the porosity and pore size of the membrane were affected by the introduction of SiO₂ particles, and the cross‐sectional morphology of the PVDF composite membranes changed from fingerlike macrovoids to a spongelike structure. The membrane performance of DO removal was evaluated through the membrane unit by a vacuum degassing process. It was found that the SiO₂/PVDF hybrid membranes effectively improved the oxygen removal efficiency compared with the original PVDF membranes. The maximum permeation flux was obtained when the loading amount was 2.5 wt %. The effect of the downstream vacuum level was also investigated. The experimental results show that the SiO₂/PVDF hybrid membranes had superior performances and could be an alternative membrane for removing DO from water. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2014 , 131, 40430.     

Preparation and properties of phase‐change heat‐storage UV curable polyurethane acrylate coating

Phase‐change heat‐storage UV curable polyurethane acrylate (PUA) coating was prepared by applying microencapsulated phase change materials (microPCMs) to PUA coating. MicroPCMs containing paraffin core with melamine‐formaldehyde shell were synthesized by in situ polymerization. The effect of stirring speed, emulsification time, emulsifier amount, and core/shell mass ratio on particle size, morphology, and phase change properties of the microPCMs was studied by using laser particle size analyzer, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopic analysis, scanning electron microscopy, and differential scanning calorimetry. The results showed that the diameter of the microcapsules decreased with the increase of stirring speed, emulsification time, and emulsifier amount. When the mass ratio of emulsifier to paraffin is 6%, microcapsules fabricated with a core/shell ratio of 75/25 have a compact surface and a mean particle size of 30 μm. The sample made under the above conditions has a higher efficiency of microencapsulation than other samples and was applied to PUA coating. The dispersion of microPCMs in coating and heat‐storage properties of the coating were investigated. The results illustrated that the phase‐change heat‐storage UV curable PUA coating can store energy and insulate heat. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2015 , 132, 41266.     

Preparation,analysis, and isothermal crystallization behavior of poly[1,3‐bis(aminomethyl)cyclohexamethylene oxamide]

Poly[1,3‐bis(aminomethyl)cyclohexaneoxamide] (PBAC2) was synthesized using 1,3‐bis(aminomethyl)cyclohexane (BAC) and dibutyl oxalate (DO) via spray/solid‐state polycondensation (SSP). The structure of the synthesized polyoxamide was confirmed by ¹H‐nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. The weight average molecular weight (M_w) of the polyoxamides prepared was 1.35 × 10⁵. The polyoxamides showed excellent thermal properties with glass transition temperature (T_g) of 150 °C, melting temperature (T_m) of 318 °C, crystallization temperature(T_c) of 253 °C, and initial degradation temperature (T_d) of 417 °C suggesting higher thermal stability than commercial polyamide 6 (T_d = 378 °C). Kinetic studies of PBAC2 predicted a two‐dimensional crystal growth. X‐ray diffraction powder diffraction suggested that the polymer has high crystallinity. A saturated water absorption of 2.8 wt % was recorded for the new polyoxamide, giving it a competitive edge for applications in civil aviation, reinforced plastics, and electronics industry where precise dimensional stability and high thermal resistance properties are a priority. © 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2018 , 135, 46345.     

Lead(II)‐ion removal by ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid ligand functionalized magnetic chitosan–aluminum oxide–iron oxide nanoadsorbents and microadsorbents: Equilibrium,kinetics, and thermodynamics

Novel nanosized and microsized chitosan–Al₂O₃–Fe₃O₄ (CANF and CAMF, respectively) adsorbents were functionalized with ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA) ligands and applied to the removal of Pb(II) ions. The prepared adsorbents were characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, and Brunauer–Emmett–Teller analysis, and their adsorption potentials were investigated with Pb(II) as a target metal under various experimental conditions. Our results show that the EDTA functionalization of CANF and CAMF increased their adsorption capacities about 31.5 and 38 times, respectively. The optimum dosage obtained was 1.0 g/L for both EDTA‐functionalized adsorbents, and the maximum adsorption took place at pH = 5.3. The kinetic results revealed that the adsorption obeyed the pseudo‐second‐order model and that the pore diffusion process played a key role in the adsorption kinetics. Also, the results of equilibrium isotherms indicate the good fit of the experimental data by the Langmuir isotherm model under the studied concentration and temperature ranges, and the adsorptions of Pb(II) ions from aqueous solution followed the monolayer coverage of the adsorbents. The maximum Pb(II)‐ion adsorption capacities of EDTA–CANF and EDTA–CAMF were 160 and 157 mg/g, respectively. These metal‐loaded adsorbents could be readily recovered from aqueous solution by magnetic separation and reused. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2017 , 134, 44360.