Micrometer-sized hyperbranched poly(amidoamine) (hPAMAM) particles are prepared with a simple A2B3 type Aza-Michael addition reaction between aminoethylpiperazine (AEP) and methylenebisacrylamide (MBA) in an inverse suspension polymerization condition. The synthesized particles exhibited surprisingly high Cu2+ sorption capacity (0.223g/g) for a solid-type absorbent. In addition to the high sorption ability of the particle, its simple synthetic process and convenience, due to its micrometer-sized spherical shape and recyclability, make it a practical and attractive absorbent for heavy metal ion removal from aqueous solutions.
Keywords: heavy metal ion removal; hyperbranched polymer; inverse suspension polymerization.; poly(amidoamine).