Introduction process of n-methylglucamino groups for binding antimony (III) to a polymer brush

Polymer brushes containing epoxy groups were grafted onto a porous hollow-fiber membrane by radiation-induced graft polymerization of glycidyl methacrylate. N-Methylglucamino (NMG) groups for binding antimony(III) were introduced to the epoxy groups of the polymer brush using a range of reaction times. To determine the process of the introduction of NMG groups to the polymer brush, the water permeability through the membrane, the swelling ratio of the membrane, and the antimony(III) adsorptivity of the membrane were determined for different NMG conversion values of 0 - 76%. The water permeability and the swelling ratio indicated that the NMG groups reacted with the epoxy groups of the polymer brush on the outside of the base of the polymer first, and then with those inside the base of the polymer matrix. The molar ratio between the NMG groups and the antimony(III) adsorbed on the polymer brush was always 0.5, demonstrating that the NMG groups were introduced from the tail end of the polymer brush to the fixed end due to diffusion and reaction of the NMG groups along the polymer brush.