Uptake of copper ions by carbon fiber/polymer hybrids prepared by tandem diazonium salt chemistry and in situ atom transfer radical polymerization

Cyclam-functionalized polyglycidyl methacrylate, grafted on carbon fibres (CF-PGMA-Cy) was prepared by atom transfer radical polymerization using aryl diazonium salt initiators. These adsorption maximum capacity of CF-PGMA-Cy fibres for Cu(II) was found to be 28.6 mg/g at pH 5.2 and the adsorption kinetics fitted to the pseudo-second order model. Cyclic voltammetry of the (CF-PGMA-Cy)-supported copper ions indicated true electrochemical stripping of Cu(II) with detection of as low as 2 pmol of adsorbed Cu0. CF-PGMA-Cy fibres are thus efficient and reusable adsorbents that hold promises for the design of electrochemical sensors of metal ions.