ABSTRACT
Development of sustainable bio-based materials for removal of toxic contaminants from water is a high priority goal. Novel bio-based binary and ternary copolymers with enhanced ion-exchange, adsorption and antibacterial properties were obtained by using plant biomass-derived diallyl esters of furandicarboxylic acid (FDCA) as crosslinking agents and easily available vinyl monomers. The synthesized copolymer materials showed higher sorption capacities for NiII , CoII and CuII compared to the commercial ion-exchange resins, and they maintained their high metal adsorption capacities for over 10â cycles of regeneration. The synthesized copolymer gels containing 1-5â wt % of the crosslinker showed excellent water absorption capacities. The synthesized copolymers with 1 % crosslinker content showed swelling ratios high enough to also act as moisture absorbents. Synthesized copolymers with crosslinker content of 10â wt % performed as contact-active antibacterials by inhibiting the growth of Gram-positive (S.â aureus) and Gram-negative bacteria (E.â coli, K.â pneumonia) in suspension tests.