Effect of polyethylene glycol on the synthesis of magnetic mesoporous silica as an adsorbent for organic dye.

In this study, the effect of polyethylene glycol (PEG) addition as a co-template for the synthesis of magnetic mesoporous silica (MMS) composite was investigated. MMS was synthesized via solvothermal method using cetyl trimethyl ammonium bromide (CTAB) as a template, iron trichloride hexahydrate as iron precursor, and tetraethyl orthosilicate as the silica source. All MMS materials were characterized using Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM), X-ray Diffractometer (XRD), and Fourier-Transform Infrared Spectrophotometer (FTIR) instruments. The characterization results showed that the addition of PEG as a co-template did not have a significant effect on the properties of MMS. All MMS showed relatively similar properties. MMS600 which was synthesized by adding 600 mg of PEG showed the most uniform spherical particles and the least agglomeration. MMS600 was then applied for the removal of methylene blue from aqueous solution via batch experiment. Adsorption of MB onto MMS600 was better explained using pseudo-second order kinetic model and Freundlich adsorption isotherm. The Langmuir maximum adsorption capacity of MMS600 for MB was 123.46 mg g−1. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]