Ultrasonic mediated synthesis of arsenic imprinted polymer and their analytical practicality as a selective sorbent for removal of toxic As³⁺ ion from real samples

In this study, we report the synthesis of arsenic-imprinted polymer (As-IIP) through the combined effect of dual functional monomers, 4-vinyl pyridine, and methacrylic acid based ionic interaction by a simple and cost-effective ultrasonic-mediated precipitation polymerization. Ultrasonic energy application reduces the reaction time as compared to conventional protocol. Surface morphology and functionality were examined using SEM and FT-IR. Adsorption mechanism and kinetics was describes by Langmuir, followed by pseudo second order. The repeatability and selectivity of As-IIP were also evaluated. The As-IIP revealed excellent selectivity toward As³⁺ in the presence of Al³⁺, Cr³⁺, Hg^2+, and Ni²⁺ high anti-interference ability in the presence of various coexisting ions. An excellent linear range of concentration (2–100) μg L⁻¹ as well as LOD and LOQ were obtained 0.65 and 1.8 μgL⁻¹ respectively. The synthesized As-IIP was applied for selective removal of toxic As³⁺ ions in real samples.