Iron-based redox polymerization of acrylic acid for direct synthesis of hydrogel/membranes and metal nanoparticles for water treatment

Functionalized polymer materials with ion-exchange groups and the integration of nanostructured materials is an emerging area for catalytic and water pollution control applications. The polymerization of materials such as acrylic acid often requires persulfate initiator and a high-temperature start. However, is generally known that metal ions accelerate such polymerizations starting from room temperature. If the metal is properly selected, then it can be used in environmental applications, adding two advantages simultaneously. This article deals with this by polymerizing acrylic acid using iron as an accelerant and subsequently using it for nanoparticle synthesis in hydrogels and PVDF membranes. Characterizations of hydrogels, membranes, and nanoparticles were carried out with different techniques. Nanoparticles sizes of 30-60 nm were synthesized. Permeability and swelling measurements demonstrate an inverse relationship between the hydrogel mesh size (6.30 to 8.34 nm) and the membrane pore size (222 to 110 nm). The quantitative reduction of trichloroethylene/ chloride generation by Fe/Pd nanoparticles in hydrogel/membrane platforms was also performed.