Reactive & Functional Polymers 65 (2005) 143–148 www.elsevier.com/locate/react 1381-5148/$ - see front matter  2005 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved. doi:10.1016/j.reactfunctpolym.2005.01.010 Polymer supported amino bis-(cis-propan 2,3 diol) functions for removal of trace boron from water Niyazi Bicak ¤ , Mustafa Gazi, Bahire Filiz Senkal Ãstanbul Technical University, Department of Chemistry, 34469 Maslak-Ãstanbul, Turkey Received 22 July 2004; received in revised form 5 January 2005; accepted 13 January 2005 Available online 18 July 2005 Abstract Reaction of diallylamine with crosslinked terpolymer beads of glycidyl metacrylate–methyl methacrylate–ethylene glycol dimethacrylate yields corresponding polymers with diallylamino functions (2.4 mmol g ¡1 ). Cis-dihydroxylation of the allyl groups with hydrogen peroxide, in presence of OsO 4 catalyst yields polymer supported amino-bis(cis-propane 2,3-diol) functions with 81.7% of conversion yields. The resulting polymer resin having vicinal cis-diol functions is a high capacity (1.77 mmol g ¡1 ) boron-speciWc sorbent and useful for extraction of of trace boric acid (105.1 ppm) from aqueous solutions in about 20 min.  2005 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved. Keywords: Boron removal; Cis-dihydroxylation; Glycidyl methacrylate; Polymeric sorbent 1. Introduction Boron removal is of special importance due to its plant stunning eVect. Presence of boric acid higher than 4 mg per liter in water have been reported to accelerate decay of fruit trees. Citrus plantations are especially susceptible to excessive [1]. The development of new boron-speciWc chelating resins with large capacity, high selectivity, and high uptake rate has held much interest both for the sepa- ration of boron isotopes in nuclear-related Welds and for the recovery and removal of borate from geo- thermal waters and boron containing wastewaters. Three or more hydroxyl functions can bind boric acid tightly by forming either neutral boron esters or borate complex anion with a proton as counter ion. Hydroxyl functions are speciWc in boron binding. Having six hydroxyl functions, sugar derivatives such as sorbitol and mannitol have exceptionally high boron binding abilities. In accordance with this key principle, poly (styrene)-based resin with N-methyl D-glucamine functions, emerged in the mid 1960s [2], and has been reported as boron-speciWc sorbent. * Corresponding author. Tel.: +90 212 285 3221; fax: +90 212 285 6386. E-mail address: bicak@itu.edu.tr (N. Bicak).