Synthesis of a poly(vinylcatechol-co-divinylbenzene) resin and accessibility to catechol units

Poly(vinylcatechol-co-divinylbenzene) resins have been prepared by suspension copolymerization of 3,4-dimethoxystyrene (DMS) with divinylbenzene (DVB) using toluene as the porogen and followed by deprotection of the catechol functions. The ratio of DMS versus DVB was modified and led to a maximum catechol content (determined by elemental analysis) varying from 0.82 to 3.16 mmol g⁻¹. Large surface areas were found for copolymers prepared with a divinylbenzene content larger than 35% v/v: from 464 to 658 m² g⁻¹. Accessibility (determined by back titration of the hydroxyl groups) was improved by prior contact with ethanol but remained inferior to 20%. This can be the result of the morphology of the resin beads and of the bottle-shape form of the pores, or/and of the embedding of the catechol units inside the polymer network. The sorption capacities were determined for Cu(II) and Cd(II) and reached 101.5 and 81.0 μmol g⁻¹ for copper and cadmium, respectively. Moreover, a significant variation of coloration has been observed upon complexation of copper by the resins.