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Tailoring of Mesoporous Silica-Based Materials for Enhanced Water Pollutants Removal

Tailoring of Mesoporous Silica-Based Materials for Enhanced Water Pollutants Removal

Authors :
Daniela Flores
C. Marisa R. Almeida
Carlos R. Gomes
Salete S. Balula
Carlos M. Granadeiro
Source :
Molecules, Vol 28, Iss 10, p 4038 (2023)
Publication Year :
2023
Publisher :
MDPI AG, 2023.

Abstract

The adsorptive performance of mesoporous silica-based materials towards inorganic (metal ions) and organic (dyes) water pollutants was investigated. Mesoporous silica materials with different particle size, surface area and pore volume were prepared and tailored with different functional groups. These materials were then characterised by solid-state techniques, namely vibrational spectroscopy, elemental analysis, scanning electron microscopy and nitrogen adsorption–desorption isotherms, allowing the successful preparation and structural modifications of the materials to be confirmed. The influence of the physicochemical properties of the adsorbents towards the removal of metal ions (Ni2+, Cu2+ and Fe3+) and organic dyes (methylene blue and methyl green) from aqueous solutions was also investigated. The results reveal that the exceptionally high surface area and suitable ζ-potential of the nanosized mesoporous silica nanoparticles (MSNPs) seem to favour the adsorptive capacity of the material for both types of water pollutants. Kinetic studies were performed for the adsorption of organic dyes by MSNPs and large-pore mesoporous silica (LPMS), suggesting that the process follows a pseudo-second-order model. The recyclability along consecutive adsorption cycles and the stability of the adsorbents after use were also investigated, showing that the material can be reused. Current results show the potentialities of novel silica-based material as a suitable adsorbent to remove pollutants from aquatic matrices with an applicability to reduce water pollution.

Details

Language :
English
ISSN :
14203049
Volume :
28
Issue :
10
Database :
Directory of Open Access Journals
Journal :
Molecules
Publication Type :
Academic Journal
Accession number :
edsdoj.f3e89e01432c4ff1b620d767cbd1b414
Document Type :
article
Full Text :
https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules28104038