Beginning: November 2019
Supervisors: BRANGER Catherine
PhD defense on April 19th 2024
The separation of Co(II) and Ni(II) ions is a major challenge in the hydrometallurgical industry and in environmental environments, due to the similarity of the physico-chemical properties of these two metals. The aim of this thesis work is to develop highly selective adsorbent materials for their separation. To achieve this, ion-imprinted polymers (IIPs) were developed from novel chelating monomers. Particular attention was paid to controlling the initial stoichiometry of the complex formed between the monomer and the target ion.
Three pyridine-based ligands were selected and modified with a polymerizable function so that they could be covalently integrated into cobalt and nickel IIPs. Adsorption and selectivity properties were studied as a function of pH. The best polymer, prepared on the basis of aminomethylpyridine, has a high adsorption capacity in neutral and acidic media (169.5 mg/g at pH 7 and 138.9 mg/g at pH 2), combined with selective recognition of Ni(II) ions. It thus offers an interesting alternative for the selective separation of Ni(II) ions under the targeted conditions.