Environment friendly modified chitosan hydrogels as a matrix for adsorption of metal ions, synthesis and characterization

Environment friendly modified chitosan hydrogels for metal ions absorption from aqueous systems were designed using simple technology. Chitosan was modified with [N,N'-bi-alpha-azidosuccinimide and N-phthalimido-alpha-azide succinimide] under different reaction conditions to prepare new hydrogels with high metal ion absorption efficiency. The hydrogels were characterized by FTIR, thermal stability, crystallography, solubility and swelling capacity. Promising results were obtained from this preliminary study to evaluate the efficiency of the new hydrogels to uptake copper and cobalt ions from aqueous systems. (C) 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.