LAUSR

Magnetic nanoparticles embody a valuable suite of technologies for the selective recovery of metals from the aqueous phase owing to their high surface area, the ease of recovery using an externally applied magnetic field and their ability to be custom designed. Ligands bearing sulfur ( S -) and nitrogen ( N -) donors are suited for such functionalization due to their proven selectivity’s for Ag(I) binding. Herein, we report the synthesis of a novel ligand— N -(2-((4-vinylbenzyl)thio)ethyl)acetamide in two steps and with a 76% yield. Also, the attachment of the ligand to the surface of magnetite nanoparticle with the aid of azobisisobutyronitrile (AIBN) was achieved under mild conditions. The ligand-magnetite nanosorbent demonstrated excellent removal efficiency (99.9%) and outstanding selectivity for Ag(I) recovery under the prevailing experimental conditions. Taking together, the results indicate that N -(2-((4-vinylbenzyl)thio)ethyl)acetamide on magnetite nanoparticles is an efficient sorbent for the selective recovery of Ag(I) from the aqueous phase. Graphical Abstract