Temperature-Sensitive Polymer-Based Iron Complexes: Construction, Characterization and Properties in Dye Degradation by Activated H2O2

The preparation of polymer-metal complex is an effective way to achieve the bifunctionality of polymer and metal. In this study, temperature-sensitive polymer was synthesized from triethylene glycol methyl ether methacrylate (MEO(2)MA) and methacrylic acid N-hydroxysuccinimide ester (NMS) monomers via reversible addition-fragmentation chain transfer (RAFT) polymerization. 6-Aminohexanoic acid was introduced into the temperature-sensitive polymer using an activated ester strategy to obtain branched carboxyl-containing polymers. The carboxyl group in the polymer was coordinated with Fe(III), resulting in temperature-sensitive polymer-based iron complexes. The obtained iron complexes were used as homogeneous catalysts in the Fenton oxidation. Where, 97% and 96% decolorization of rhodamine B (RhB) and methylene blue (MB) could be achieved within 2 h for P(COOH10-co-MEO(2)MA(41))-Fe3+, and the catalytic activities increased with the increase of the COOH content of polymer. In addition, the recycling of the catalyst can be achieved by the heating-centrifugal precipitation method using the temperature-sensitive nature of the polymer.