Hollow latex particles functionalized with chitosan for the removal of formaldehyde from indoor air

Chitosan and polyethyleneimine (PEI) functionalized hollow latex (HL) particles were conveniently fabricated by coating poly(methyl methacrylate-co-divinyl benzene-co-acrylic acid) (P(MMA/DVB/AA)) HL particles with 5 wt% chitosan or 14 wt% PEI. The materials were used as formaldehyde adsorbent, where their adsorbent activity was examined by Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy. The nucleophilic addition of amines to carbonyls generated a carbinolamine intermediate with a characteristic band at 1020 cm−1 and Schiff base product at 1650 cm−1, whose intensity increased with prolonged formaldehyde exposure times. The major products observed in HL-chitosan were carbinolamine and Schiff base, whereas a small amount of Schiff base was obtained in HL-PEI particles, confirming a chemical bond formation without re-emission of formaldehyde. Compared to HL-PEI, HL-chitosan possesses higher formaldehyde adsorption efficiency. Besides providing opacity and whiteness, the multilayer HL-chitosan particles can effectively remove indoor air pollutants, i.e., formaldehyde gas, and, hence, would be useful in special coating applications.