Vinyl Ether Maleic Anhydride Copolymers: Efficient and Reusable Sorbents for Removing Heavy Metals from Water

Vinyl ethermaleic anhydride (VEMA) copolymers were synthesized by reversible addition-fragmentation chain transfer (RAFT) copolymerization and hydrolyzed to generate dicarboxylate-functionalized adsorbents for heavy metal removal from water. The RAFT-synthesized copolymer had superior removal efficiencies compared to a conventional free-radical synthesized analogue, while maintaining adsorption performance over multiple cycles. The metals could be removed under batch and flow conditions. Competitive experiments demonstrated adsorption in the order: Cu(II) > Fe(III) > Ni(II) > Co(II) > Zn(II). The impact of pH and metal concentration was investigated. Overall, hydrolyzed VEMA copolymers are promising reusable adsorbents in water treatment applications.