Synthesis and properties of hydrophilic polymers. IX. Synthesis,biodegradability, and metal complexation of copolymers of ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid dianhydride and lactose

The synthesis and characterization of poly(ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid‐co‐lactose) with pendant carboxylic groups of high molar mass (132 kg mol^?1) is described. The polycondensate was hydrolytically and microbiologically degradable with conventional microbiological methods. The metal‐complexing properties of the polyester were studied for Cr(III), Fe(III), Co(II), Ni(II), Cu(II), Zn(II), Sr(II), Cd(II), Pb(II), and Al(III) ions in aqueous solution with the liquid‐phase polymer‐based retention (LPR) method. In addition, the complexing capacity of the Cu(II)‐saturated copolymer was determined by thermogravimetric analysis to be 182 mg g^?1 of polymer. According to the retention profiles determined as a function of the filtration factor with LPR in conjunction with inductively coupled plasma spectrometry, Cr(III) and Fe(III) showed a strong interaction with this polymer under these conditions, as indicated by retention values of about 100% at pH 5. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 90: 650–657, 2003