Molecularly Engineered Aza-Crown Ether Functionalized Sodium Alginate Aerogels for Highly Selective and Sustainable Cu²⁺ Removal.

ABSTRACT: Developing sustainable and molecularly selective adsorbents for heavy-metal removal remains a critical challenge in water purification. Herein, we report a green molecular-engineering approach for fabricating aza-crown ether functionalized sodium alginate aerogels (ACSA) capable of highly selective Cu²⁺ capture. The aerogels were synthesized via saccharide-ring oxidation, Cu²⁺-templated self-assembly, and reductive amination, enabling the covalent integration of aza-crown ether motifs within a hierarchically porous biopolymer matrix. Structural analyses (FTIR, ¹³C NMR, XPS, SEM, TGA) confirmed the in situ formation of macrocyclic N/O coordination sites. Owing to their interconnected porosity and chemically stable framework, ACSA exhibited rapid sorption kin

SUBMITTER: Long T 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12841500 | biostudies-literature | 2026 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature