A study of the synthesis, kinetics, and characterization of reactive graft copolymers of poly(vinyl imidazole) and cellulose for use as supports in enzyme immobilization and metal ion uptake

In continuation to our earlier work to use bioresource for developing alternate materials for use at the interface of biotechnology and polymer science, we have utilized pine needles as a renewable stock of cellulose to synthesize graft copolymers of vinyl imidazole. Kinetics of N-VIm by simultaneous gamma-irradiation method has been investigated as a function of total dose, monomer concentration, and amount of water. Effect of water-methanol solvent composition on graft yields and polymerization kinetics has also been studied at the optimum grafting conditions of the total dose and monomer concentration. Effect of some additives such as ZnCl2, Mohr salt, tetramethylethylene diamine, potassium persulfate, ammonium persulfate as grafting accelerators and promoters has also been studied. Graft copolymers have been characterized by elemental analysis, FTIR, and swelling studies. The graft copolymers have been used as supports for metal ions sorption, enzyme immobilization, and as potential biomimicking catalysts. Sorption behavior of Fe2+ ions and Cu2+ ions and the immobilization of bovine serum albumin and protease as a function of graft yield has been reported. (c) 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.