Preparation and Characterization of Nano-, Micro- and Macroporous Sorbents Based on Pine Sawdust for Removal of Toxic and Pathogenic Compounds from Human Blood Serum

Nano-, micro- and macroporous ion-exchangers based on renewable vegetable raw materials have been synthesized by two-step process including catalytic o-alkylation of pine sawdust with epoxide resin ED-20 and subsequent amination of formed α-oxide derivative. The optimal conditions of synthesis, composition, structure and physical chemical properties of ion-exchangers were investigated by FTIR, SEM, porosimetry and potentiometric titration methods. Textural characteristics of sawdust and sorbents were also studied. The results show that alkaline activation and modification of sawdust leads to an increase in surface area and enhancement of mesoporosity. The modified sorbents mainly contained a pore size of 10.56 nm. It is suggested that obtained ion-exchangers are environmentally friendly and cost-effective for purification of human blood serum from toxic and pathogenic compounds.