In this paper the preparation and characterization of some chelating resins, phosphonate grafted on polystyrene−divinylbenzene supports, are reported. The resins were prepared by an Arbuzov-type reaction between
chloromethyl polystyrene−divinylbenzene copolymers and triethylphosphite, yielding the phosphonate ester
copolymer (resin A). This can be hydrolyzed by HCl to yield the phosphonate/phosphonic acid copolymer
(resin B). The phosphonate resins A and B were characterized by determination of the phosphorus content,
infrared spectrometry, and thermal analysis. The total sorption capacity of the phosphonate ester functionalized
resin (A) and phosphonate/phosphonic acid functionalized resin (B) for divalent metal ions such as Ca2+,
Cu2+, and Ni2+ was studied in aqueous solutions. Resin A retains ∼3.25 mg of Ca2+/g of copolymer and 2.75
mg of Cu2+/g of copolymer, but retains no Ni2+ at pH 1. On the other hand, resin B retains 8.46 mg of Ca2+/g
of copolymer, 7.17 mg of Cu2+/g of copolymer, and no Ni2+ at pH 1. Efficient Ni2+ retention was observed
at pH 7 only for the phosphonate/phosphonic acid functionalized resin (B) at the level of 19 mg of Ni2+/g of
polymer B. Polymer A was incapable of retaining Ni2+ at pH 7.