Highly elastic hydrophobic-associated dual-network hydrogel for efficient and reusable removal of heavy metal ions

Zhu Z. Wu Z.-Y. Wang H.-Y. Chen W.-C. Zhou C. Xiao W.-T. Wu B.
January 2026 Springer Science and Business Media Deutschland GmbH

Polymer Bulletin
2026 #83 Issue 1

The discharge of heavy metal ions in industrial wastewater poses serious threats to ecosystems and human health. Herein, a novel hydrophobic-associated dual-network hydrogel (PVA/PASC₁₆) was synthesized by integrating a chemically cross-linked network of acrylamide (AM), sodium acryloyl dithiocarbamate (SAD), and cetyl dimethylallyl ammonium chloride (C₁₆DMAAC) with a physically cross-linked polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) crystalline network. Structural characterization via FT-IR, SEM, ESEM, and Cryo-SEM confirmed the dual-network architecture and hydrophobic microdomains. Rheological analysis and swelling tests demonstrated that hydrophobic interactions from C₁₆DMAAC significantly enhanced elasticity, achieving a 94.8% creep recovery under 5 kPa stress while suppressing swelling. Adsorption performance revealed exceptional capacities for Cu(II) (207.58 mg·g^{− 1}), Pb(II) (313.72 mg·g^{− 1}), and Mn(II) (154.25 mg·g^{− 1}) at pH 5.25 and 500 mg·L^{− 1} initial metal ion concentration within 180 min. Studies on the adsorption of Cu(II) revealed that the adsorption kinetics followed the pseudo-second-order model (R² > 0.98). Furthermore, experimental data exhibited optimal agreement with the Langmuir isotherm model, further indicating that the adsorption mechanism of the hydrogel towards Cu(II) is dominated by chemisorption. Reusability tests demonstrated > 90% adsorption capacity retention after five regeneration cycles via acid/alkaline treatment, highlighting exceptional recyclability. Mechanistic studies employing SEM-EDS, ESEM, and XPS confirmed that electrostatic attraction, ion exchange, and coordinate chelation via O/S-functional groups were the primary pathways for adsorption. This research presents a reusable adsorbent with high elasticity and adsorption efficiency, presenting a sustainable strategy for the removal of heavy metals in wastewater treatment.

Dual-network hydrogel , Heavy metal ion , High elasticity , Hydrophobic association , Physicochemical crosslinking

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School of Ecology and Environment, Yuzhang Normal University, Nanchang, 330103, China
School of Energy and Petroleum Industry, Kazakh-British Technical University, Almaty, 050000, Kazakhstan
Key Laboratory of Nanchang City for Green New Materials and Industrial Wastewater Treatment, Nanchang, 330103, China

School of Ecology and Environment
School of Energy and Petroleum Industry
Key Laboratory of Nanchang City for Green New Materials and Industrial Wastewater Treatment

10 лет помогаем публиковать статьи Международный издатель

Книга Публикация научной статьи Волощук 2026 Book Publication of a scientific article 2026