Recyclability of poly (N-isopropylacrylamide) microgel-based assemblies for organic dye removal from water

Poly (N-isopropylacrylamide)-co-acrylic acid (pNIPAm-co-AAc) microgels and their aggregates have been shown to effectively remove organic dye molecules from aqueous solutions. Here, we investigate the reusability of these microgel-based systems by exposing them to the organic azo dye molecule, 4-(2-hydroxy-1-naphthylazo) benzenesulfonic acid sodium salt (Orange II). Following exposure, the microgels are isolated, and added to methanol to extract the trapped Orange II from the microgels, followed by a subsequent isolation. The isolated microgels were then exposed to Orange II once again, and the uptake efficiency of the recycled microgels determined. We found that the microgels and their aggregates could be reused to remove the organic dye with little loss in extraction efficiency with the number of recycling cycles.