title: Composites with macroporous poly(vinyl alcohol) cryogels with attached activated carbon microparticles with controlled accessibility of a surface.
abstract: A set of glutaraldehyde (GA) cross-linked poly(vinyl alcohol)/activated carbon (PVA/GA/AC) composites prepared in the form of monolithic rods using a cryogelation technique and studied using adsorption, mercury porosimetry, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and quantum chemistry methods display porosity similar to that of PVA/GA cryogel at a high GA content (content ratio GA/AC = 1 and GA/PVA = 0.2). GA cross-linked PVA multilayer coverage is an effective barrier for adsorption on AC particles. Variations in surface chemistry (AC initial and oxidized in air at 300 °C for 12 h) and content (14-62.5%w/w) of ACs in PVA/GA/AC composites relatively weakly affect their textural characteristics at a high GA content (specific surface area S(BET) < 120 m²/g, pore volume V(p) < 0.35 cm³/g). However, PVA/GA/AC composite rods formed with a lower concentration of GA (content ratio GA/AC = 1/6 and GA/PVA = 1/10) have significantly greater S(BET) (∼500 m²/g) and V(p) (>0.55 cm³/g) values because of improved accessibility of the AC surface. This provides better adsorption of methylene blue as a probe compound.
authors.affiliation: School of Pharmacy & Biomolecular Sciences, University of Brighton, Brighton BN2 4GJ, UK.
authors.forename: Yishan
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Zheng
authors.forename: Vladimir M
authors.initials: VM
authors.lastname: Gun'ko
authors.forename: Carol A
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Howell
authors.forename: Susan R
authors.initials: SR
authors.lastname: Sandeman
authors.forename: Gary J
authors.initials: GJ
authors.lastname: Phillips
authors.forename: Oleksandr P
authors.initials: OP
authors.lastname: Kozynchenko
authors.forename: Stephen R
authors.initials: SR
authors.lastname: Tennison
authors.forename: Alexander E
authors.initials: AE
authors.lastname: Ivanov
authors.forename: Sergey V
authors.initials: SV
authors.lastname: Mikhalovsky
mesh_terms: D000042:Absorption; D002606:Charcoal / Q000737:chemistry*; D008422:Materials Testing; D008751:Methylene Blue / Q000737:chemistry / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D008863:Microspheres; D010316:Particle Size; D011142:Polyvinyl Alcohol / Q000737:chemistry*; D013499:Surface Properties; D014462:Ultrafiltration / Q000379:methods*
chemical_list: D002606:Charcoal; D011142:Polyvinyl Alcohol; D008751:Methylene Blue