Methylene blue removal using a novel hydrogel containing 3-Allyloxy-2-hydroxy-1-propanesulfonic acid sodium salt

The increased need for pure and safe water has motivated many researchers and scientists to pay more attention for clearing the colored water from the toxic dyes. This study is based on the production of a novel hydrogel by the free radical-induced polymerization of acrylamide (AAm) and acrylic acid (AA) with 3-Allyloxy-2-hydroxy-1-propanesulfonic acid sodium salt (AHPS) using the radical initiator, benzoyl peroxide, and the multifunctional cross-linker, Pentaerythritol Tetraallyl Ether(PTE). Confirmation of synthesis was done by aid of the Fourier transform infrared spectra, energy-dispersive X-ray, and the scanning electron microscope (SEM). SEM micrographs indicated the three-dimensional cross-linked structure of the hydrogels. The thermal properties were evaluated via the thermal gravimetric analysis. The swelling percentage and swelling kinetic parameters were determined. It was found that swelling of P(AAm-AA-AHPS) hydrogels was reached to 7,071% in distilled water, while P(AAm-AA) hydrogels swelled 1,055%. And the swelling percentage was found to be affected by pH of the surrounding medium. The AHPS-based hydrogel giving the greatest swelling % was tested as a methylene blue remover from the aqueous solution by the batch adsorption method. Studying the adsorption kinetics and isotherm showed that the pseudo-second-order and the Freundlich model described well the adsorption process, and the highest adsorption capacity reached 79.42 mg/g.