Redox Polymer with N,N-Dichlorosulfonamide Functional Groups as Arsenite Oxidant in Aqueous Solutions

A macroporous, styrene-divinylbenzene polymer with N,N-dichlorosulfonamide functional groups (SO2NCl2), containing two chlorine atoms with oxidation number +1, have been prepared through the chemical modification of a commercial sulfonic cation exchanger (Amberlyst 15, Rohm and Haas). Obtained product was used as the heterogeneous oxidant of As(III) in aqueous solutions. The polymer's oxidizing capacity, determined as part of the batch studies, amounted to 193.29 mg As(III) g(-1) (pH=7.7) and 206.03 mg As(III) g(-1) (pH=2.0). The suitability of the redox polymer for long-lasting operation in the aqueous environment was confirmed in the column study conducted using a solution with a concentration of 10 mg As(III) dm(-3) at a flow rate of 6 bed volumes (BV) h(-1). The concentration of As(III) in the effluent reached the value of 0.01 mg As(III) dm(-3) only after 8 weeks of continuous operation when 7930 BV of the solution had passed through the bed. (c) 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2015, 132, 41552.