Poly(caffeic acid) was synthesized and utilized for the
extraction
and determination of rare earth elements (REEs), thorium, and uranium.
Oxidative polymerization of caffeic acid, a low-cost plant-based material,
in the presence of ethylenediamine produced a granular, air-stable,
and cross-linked polymer. The polymer is highly oxygenated and together
with the amino group from ethylenediamine efficiently coordinates
and preconcentrates these critical elements from aqueous media. Extraction
was dependent on solution pH, amount of sorbent, and extraction time,
while the concentration and flow rate of the desorption solution governed
the recovery efficiency. Removal and recovery efficiencies greater
than 98 and 90%, respectively, and low levels of detection ranging
from 0.1 to 2.9 ng/L were achieved. Determination of these strategic
elements in the presence of potentially interfering ions as well as
in complex matrices such as well water and produced water samples
also was demonstrated. The capacity of poly(caffeic acid) was determined
with lanthanum as a representative REE to be 161.7 mg/g, establishing
the promise of poly(caffeic acid) for larger-scale extractions in
addition to the ability to screen sources for the presence of REEs.