Preparation of 2-mercaptobenzothiazole-derivatized mesoporous silica and removal of Hg(ii) from aqueous solution

Removal of Pb2+, CrT, and Hg2+ Ions from Aqueous Solutions Using Amino-Functionalized Magnetic Nanoparticles

In this paper, a circular economy approach with the adsorption and desorption of heavy metal (HM) ions—i.e., lead (Pb2+), chromium (CrT), and mercury (Hg2+)—from aqueous solutions was studied. Specific and selective binding of HM ions was performed on stabilized and amino-functionalized iron oxide magnetic nanoparticles (γ-Fe2O3@NH2 NPs) from an aqueous solution at pH 4 and 7. For this purpose, γ-Fe2O3@NH2 NPs were characterized by thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), specific surface area (BET), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), EDXS, and zeta potential measurements (ζ). The effects of different adsorbent amounts (mads = 20/45/90 mg) and the type of anions (NO3−, Cl−, SO42−) on adsorption efficiency were also tested. The desorption was performed with 0.1 M HNO3. The results showed improvement of adsorption efficiency for CrT, Pb2+, and Hg2+ ions at pH 7 by 45 mg of g-Fe2O3@NH2 NPs, and the sequence was as follows: CrT > Hg2+ > Pb2+, with adsorption capacities of 90.4 mg/g, 85.6 mg/g, and 83.6 mg/g, respectively. The desorption results showed the possibility for the reuse of γ-Fe2O3@NH2 NPs with HNO3, as the desorption efficiency was 100% for Hg2+ ions, 96.7% for CrT, and 91.3% for Pb2+.

Efficient Removal of Hg(II) from Water under Mildly Acidic Conditions with Hierarchical SiO2 Monoliths Functionalized with -SH Groups

In this work, novel adsorbents based on 3D hierarchical silica monoliths functionalized with thiol groups were used for the removal of Hg(II) ions from an acidic aqueous solution (pH 3.5). Silica monoliths were synthesized by using two different pluronic triblock polymers (P123 and F127) to study the effect of porous structure on their sorption capacity. Before and after functionalization by grafting with 3-mercaptopropyltrimethoxysilane (MPTMS), the monoliths were characterized by several techniques, and their Hg(II) removal potential was evaluated in batch experiments at 28 °C and pH 3.5, using different initial concentrations of Hg(II) ions in water (200-500 mg L-1). The thiol groups of the monoliths calcined at 550 °C showed thermal stability up to 300 °C (from TG/DTG). The functionalized monolith synthesized with P123 polymer and polyethylene glycol showed favorable hierarchical macro-mesopores for Hg(II) adsorption. M(P123)-SH exhibited 97% removal of Hg(II) at concentration 200 mg L-1. Its maximum adsorption capacity (12.2 mmol g-1) was two times higher than that of M(F127)-SH, demonstrating that the 3D hierarchical macro-mesoporosity allowing accessibility of Hg(II) to thiol groups favors the physical and chemical adsorption of Hg(II) under slightly acidic conditions.

Synthesis of novel adsorbent based on tetrasulfide-functionalized fibrous silica KCC-1 for removal of Hg(II) cations

Hg(II) has been identified to be one of the extremely toxic heavy metals because of its hazardous effects and this fact that it is even more hazardous to animals than other pollutants such as Ag, Au, Cd, Ni, Pb, Co, Cu, and Zn. Accordingly, for the first time, tetrasulfide-functionalized fibrous silica KCC-1 (TS-KCC-1) spheres were synthesized by a facile, conventional ultrasonic-assisted, sol–gel-hydrothermal preparation approach to adsorb Hg(II) from aqueous solution. Tetrasulfide groups (–S–S–S–S–) were chosen as binding sites due to the strong and effective interaction of mercury ions (Hg(II)) with sulfur atoms. Hg(II) uptake onto TS-KCC-1 in a batch system has been carried out. Isotherm and kinetic results showed a very agreed agreement with Langmuir and pseudo-first-order models, respectively, with a Langmuir maximum uptake capacity of 132.55 mg g^–1 (volume of the solution = 20.0 mL; adsorbent dose = 5.0 mg; pH = 5.0; temperature: 198 K; contact time = 40 min; shaking speed = 180 rpm). TS-KCC-1was shown to be a promising functional nanoporous material for the uptake of Hg(II) cations from aqueous media. To the best of our knowledge, there has been no report on the uptake of toxic Hg(II) cations by tetrasulfide-functionalized KCC-1 prepared by a conventional ultrasonic-assisted sol–gel-hydrothermal synthesis method.

Thiadiazole containing N- and S-rich highly ordered periodic mesoporous organosilica for efficient removal of Hg(ii) from polluted water

We report a new N- and S-rich highly ordered periodic mesoporous organosilica material DMTZ-PMO bearing thiadiazole and thiol moieties inside the pore-wall for very efficient and fast removal of Hg²⁺ from polluted water (uptake = 2081 mg g⁻¹).

Adsorption of mercury ions from wastewater by a hyperbranched and multi-functionalized dendrimer modified mixed-oxides nanoparticles

In this paper, a novel heterogeneous nanodendrimer with generation of G2.0 was prepared by individual grafting of diethylenetriamine, triazine and l-cysteine methyl ester on the modified aluminum-silicate mixed oxides as a potent adsorbent of Hg(II) ions from aqueous media. The prepared nanodendrimer was characterized by nuclear magnetic resonance spectrum (¹H NMR and ¹³C NMR), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), Diffuse reflectance UV-Vis spectroscopy (DR UV-Vis), zeta potential (ζ), inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectroscopy (ICP-AES), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), nitrogen adsorption experiments at -196°C and elemental analysis. Equilibrium and kinetic models for Hg(II) ions removal were used by investigating the effect of the contact time, adsorbent dosage, initial Hg(II) ions concentrations, effect of solution's temperature, interfering ions, and initial pH. The contact time to approach equilibrium for higher removal was 6min (3232mgg^-1). The removal of Hg(II) ions has been assessed in terms of pseudo-first- and -second-order kinetics, and the Freundlich, Langmuir and Sips isotherms models have also been applied to the equilibrium removal data. The removal kinetics followed the mechanism of the pseudo-second order equation, where the chemical sorption is the rate-limiting step of removal process and not involving mass transfer in solution, which was further proved by several techniques such as zeta potential, FT-IR and DS UV-vis. The thermodynamic parameters (ΔG, ΔH and ΔS) implied that the removal of mercury ions was feasible, spontaneous and chemically exothermic in nature between 15 and 80°C. The nanodendrimer indicated high reusability due to its high removal ability after 15 adsorption-desorption runs. The adsorption mechanisms of Hg(II) ions onto the nanodendrimer was further studied by diverse techniques such as FTIR, EDS, zeta potential, DR UV-Vis spectroscopy and SEM. The possible mechanism of the Hg(II) ions adsorption onto the nanodendrimer could be carried out through the various paths such as electrostatic interaction, complexation, toxic metal chelation and ionic exchange, which eventually resulted in the hydrolysis and precipitation of the adsorbed Hg(II). The l-cysteine methyl ester nanodendrimer could also remove the mercury ions from the Persian Gulf water even after five times of recycling.

Highly efficient ultrasonic-assisted removal of Hg(II) ions on graphene oxide modified with 2-pyridinecarboxaldehyde thiosemicarbazone: Adsorption isotherms and kinetics studies

A novel adsorbent, based on modifying graphene oxide (GO) chemically with 2-pyridinecarboxaldehyde thiosemicarbazone (2-PTSC) as ligand, was designed by facile process for removal of Hg(II) from aqueous solution. Characterization of the adsorbent was performed using various techniques, such as FT-IR, XRD, XPS, SEM and AFM analysis. The adsorption capacity was affected by variables such as adsorbent dosage, pH solution, Hg(2+) initial concentration and sonicating time. These variables were optimized by rotatable central composite design (CCD) under response surface methodology (RSM). The predictive model for Hg(II) adsorption was constructed and applied to find the best conditions at which the responses were maximized. In this conditions, the adsorption capacity of this adsorbent for Hg(2+) ions was calculated to be 309mgg(-1) that was higher than that of GO. Appling the ultrasound power combined with adsorption method was very efficient in shortening the removal time of Hg(2+) ions by enhancing the dispersion of adsorbent and metal ions in solution and effective interactions among them. The adsorption process was well described by second-order kinetic and Langmuir isotherm model in which the maximum adsorption capacity (Qm) was found to be 555mgg(-1) for adsorption of Hg(2+) ions over the obtained adsorbent. The performance of adsorbent was examined on the real wastewaters and confirmed the applicability of adsorbent for practical applications.

Modified Mesoporous Silica (SBA-15) with Trithiane as a new effective adsorbent for mercury ions removal from aqueous environment

BACKGROUND

Removal of mercury from aqueous environment has been highly regarded in recent years and different methods have been tested for this purpose. One of the most effective ways for mercury ions (Hg(+2)) removal is the use of modified nano porous compounds. Hence, in this work a new physical modification of mesoporous silica (SBA-15) with 1, 3, 5 (Trithiane) as modifier ligand and its application for the removal of Hg(+2) from aqueous environment has been investigated. SBA-15 and Trithiane were synthesized and the presence of ligand in the silica framework was demonstrated by FTIR spectrum. The amounts of Hg(+2) in the samples were determined by cold vapor generation high resolution continuum source atomic absorption spectroscopy. Also, the effects of pH, stirring time and weight of modified SBA-15 as three major parameters for effective adsorption of Hg(+2) were studied.

RESULTS

The important parameter for the modification of the adsorbent was Modification ratio between ligand and adsorbent in solution which was 1.5. The results showed that the best Hg(+2) removal condition was achieved at pH = 5.0, stirring time 15 min and 15.0 mg of modified adsorbent. Moreover, the maximum percentage removal of Hg(+2) and the capacity of adsorbent were 85% and 10.6 mg of Hg(+2)/g modified SBA-15, respectively.

CONCLUSIONS

To sum up, the present investigation introduced a new modified nano porous compound as an efficient adsorbent for removal of Hg(+2) from aqueous environment.

Adsorption of 2-mercaptobenzothiazole from aqueous solution by organo-bentonite

The adsorption behavior of 2-mercaptobenzothiazole onto organo-bentonite was investigated. Natural bentonite from Gaozhou in Guangdong Province, China was collected. Organo-bentonite was prepared by intercalation of cetyltrimethyl ammonium bromide into the natural bentonite. The physicochemical properties of the prepared organo-bentonite were characterized by X-ray diffraction, N2 adsorption-desorption isotherm and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. The results showed that montmorillonite is the main component of the natural bentonite. The basal spacing of the natural bentonite is 1.47 nm, which increased to 1.98 nm on intercalation with cetyltrimethyl ammonium bromide. Moreover, both the surface area and pore volume increased with intercalation. Clear CH2 stretching (3000-2800 cm(-1)) and scissoring (1480-1450 cm(-1)) modes of the intercalated surfactants were observed for organo-bentonite. Compared with the pseudo first-order kinetic model, the pseudo second-order kinetic model is more suitable to describe the adsorption kinetics of 2-mercaptobenzothiazole onto organo-bentonite. The adsorption capacity of 2-mercaptobenzothiazole onto organo-bentonite increased with increasing initial concentration of 2-mercaptobenzothiazole, but decreased with increasing adsorbent dosage. The adsorption isotherm of 2-mercaptobenzothiazole onto organo-bentonite fits well with the Langmuir model. The maximum adsorption capacity of organo-bentonite for 2-mercaptobenzothiazole was 33.61 mg/g, indicating that organo-bentonite is a promising adsorbent for 2-mercaptobenzothiazole.

Synthesis, characterization, and mercury adsorption properties of hybrid mesoporous aluminosilicate sieve prepared with fly ash

A novel hybrid mesoporous aluminosilicate sieve (HMAS) was prepared with fly ash and impregnated with zeolite A precursors. This improved the mercury adsorption of HMAS compared to original MCM-41. The HMAS was characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), nitrogen adsorption-desorption, Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) analysis, transmission electron microscopy (TEM) images and ²⁹Si and ²⁷Al magic angle spinning nuclear magnetic resonance (MAS NMR) spectra. These showed that the HMAS structure was still retained after impregnated with zeolite A. But the surface area and pore diameter of HMAS decreased due to pore blockage. Adsorption of mercury from aqueous solution was studied on untreated MCM-41and HMAS. The mercury adsorption rate of HMAS was higher than that of origin MCM-41. The adsorption of mercury was investigated on HMAS regarding the pH of mercury solution, initial mercury concentration, and the reaction temperature. The experimental data fit well to Langmuir and Freundlich isotherm models. The Dublin-Radushkevich isotherm and the characterization show that the mercury adsorption on HMAS involved the ion-exchange mechanisms. In addition, the thermodynamic parameters suggest that the adsorption process was endothermic in nature. The adsorption of mercury on HMAS followed the first order kinetics.

MCM-41 impregnated with A zeolite precursor: Synthesis, characterization and tetracycline antibiotics removal from aqueous solution

In this paper, the MCM-41 has been modified by impregnation with zeolite A to prepare a kind of new adsorbent. The adsorption of TC from aqueous solutions onto modified MCM-41 has been studied. It was discovered that the adsorption capability of zeolite A modified MCM-41 (A-MCM-41) increased dramatically after modification. The modified MCM-41 was characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), nitrogen adsorption-desorption, Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) analysis, Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) images, and ²⁹Si and ²⁷Al Magic Angle Spinning Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (MAS NMR) spectra. The modified MCM-41 structure was still retained after impregnated with zeolite A but the surface area and pore diameter decreased due to pore blockage. The adsorption of TC on modified MCM-41 was discussed regarding various parameters such as pH, initial TC concentration, and the reaction time. The pH effects on TC adsorption indicated that the adsorbents had better adsorption performances in acidic and neutral conditions. The adsorption isotherms were fitted well by the Langmuir model. The adsorption kinetics was well described by both pseudo-second order equation and the intra-particle diffusion model. The adsorption behavior in a fixed-bed column system followed Thomas model. The adsorption behavior of TC was the chemical adsorption with an ion exchange process and electrostatic adsorption.

Flame Atomic Absorption Spectrometric Determination of Trace Amounts of Silver after Solid-Phase Extraction with 2-Mercaptobenzothiazole Immobilized on Microcrystalline Naphthalene

A simple and sensitive solid-phase extraction (SPE) procedure combined with flame atomic absorption spectrometry (FAAS) was designed for the extraction and determination of trace amounts of silver. A column of immobilized 2-mercaptobenzothiazole (MBT) on microcrystalline naphthalene was used as the sorbent. Silver was quantitatively retained on the column in the pH range of 0.5–6.0. After extraction, the solid mass consisting of silver complex and naphthalene was dissolved out of the column with 5.0 mL of dimethylformamide, and the analyte was determined by flame atomic absorption spectrometry (FAAS). Under the optimum experimental conditions, the adsorption capacity was found to be 1.18 mg of silver per gram of the sorbent. A sample volume of 800 mL resulted in a preconcentration factor of 160. The relative standard deviation obtained for ten replicate determinations at a concentration of 0.8 µg L−1was 1.4%, and the limit of detection was 0.02 µg L−1. The method was successfully applied to the determination of silver in radiology film, waste water, and natural water samples. The accuracy was examined by recovery experiments, independent analysis by electrothermal atomic absorption spectrometry, and analysis of two certified reference materials.

Silica nanocontainers for active corrosion protection

Novel self-healing protective coatings with nanocontainers of corrosion inhibitors open new opportunities for long-term anticorrosion protection of different metallic materials. In this paper a new type of functional nanoreservoir based on silica nanocapsules (SiNC) synthesized and loaded with corrosion inhibitor 2-mercaptobenzothiazole (MBT) in a one-stage process is reported for the first time. Unlike conventional mesoporous silica nanoparticles, SiNC possess an empty core and shell with gradual mesoporosity, arising from the particular conditions of the synthetic route adopted, which confers significant loading capacity and allows prolonged and stimuli-triggered release of the inhibiting species. The kinetics of inhibitor release was studied at different pH values and concentrations of NaCl. The results show a clear dependence of the release profiles on corrosion relevant triggers such as pH and Cl(-) concentration. When SiNC loaded with MBT are dispersed in NaCl solution, there is a significant decrease of the corrosion activity on aluminium alloy 2024. More importantly, when SiNC-MBT is added to a conventional water-based coating formulation, the modified coating hampers corrosion activity at the metal interface, better than in the case of direct addition of corrosion inhibitor. Furthermore, self-healing is observed before and after artificially inflicting defects in the modified coatings. As a result, the developed nanocontainers show high potential to be used in new generation of active protective coatings.

Large pore diameter MCM-41 and its application for lead removal from aqueous media

A room temperature method to create large pore size and pore volume ordered mesoporous silica (MCM-41) is demonstrated. Template removal was achieved with a microwave digestion procedure using a solution of nitric acid and hydrogen peroxide. The silica product exhibited an ordered hexagonal mesostructure, large pore volume (up to 0.99 cm(3)/g), and large pore size (up to 6.74 nm) indicating its potential as a high capacity adsorbent. Surface modification, to enhance the ability of the material to extract potentially toxic metals (PTMs) from water was performed using different amino- and mercapto-functional groups. This paper reports on the extraction of lead ions from aqueous solution to demonstrate the material's significant improvement in adsorption capacity (up to 1000 μmol g(-1) for lead). Moreover, methods have been developed to regenerate the sorbent allowing 100% recovery of Pb and reuse of the sorbent material in subsequent extractions. The performance of the material was also demonstrated for environmental samples containing relatively high concentrations (ppmv) of mixed metal ions reducing them to lower values (<100 ppbv) indicating that the sorbent may have applicability for environmental remediation of polluted water.

Mesoporous silica functionalized with 1-furoyl thiourea urea for Hg(II) adsorption from aqueous media

New organic-inorganic hybrid materials were prepared by covalently anchoring 1-furoyl thiourea on mesoporous silica (SBA-15). By means of various characterization techniques (X-ray diffraction, nitrogen adsorption-desorption, thermogravimetric analysis, and FTIR spectroscopy) it has been established that the organic groups were successfully anchored on the SBA-15 surfaces and the ordering of the inorganic support was preserved during the chemical modifications. The hybrid sorbents exhibited good ability to remove Hg(II) from aqueous solution. Thus, at pH 6, the adsorption capacity of mercury ions reached 0.61 mmol g(-1).

Improvement of cytotoxicity of titanocene-functionalized mesoporous materials by the increase of the titanium content

The reaction of [Ti(eta(5)-C(5)H(5))(2)Cl(2)] (1), with 3-mercaptopropyltrimethoxysilane or 3-mercaptopropyltriethoxysilane in the presence of triethylamine leads to the formation of the thiolate complexes [Ti(eta(5)-C(5)H(5))(2){SCH(2)CH(2)CH(2)Si(OMe)(3)}(2)] (2) and [Ti(eta(5)-C(5)H(5))(2){SCH(2)CH(2)CH(2)Si(OEt)(3)}(2)] (3), respectively. Complexes 2 and 3 have been characterized by traditional methods, in addition, structural studies based on DFT calculations are reported. 1-3 have been grafted onto dehydroxylated MCM-41 to give the novel materials MCM-41/[Ti(eta(5)-C(5)H(5))(2)Cl(2)] (S1), MCM-41/[Ti(eta(5)-C(5)H(5))(2){SCH(2)CH(2)CH(2)Si(OMe)(3)}(2)] (S2) and MCM-41/[Ti(eta(5)-C(5)H(5))(2){SCH(2)CH(2)CH(2)Si(OEt)(3)}(2)] (S3) which have been characterized by powder X-ray diffraction, X-ray fluorescence, nitrogen gas sorption, multinuclear MAS NMR spectroscopy, thermogravimetry, UV spectroscopy, SEM and TEM. Materials S2 and S3 present much higher values of Ti wt% (ca. 3%) than S1 (ca. 1%), indicating the higher functionalization rate induced by the substitution of the chloro ligands by the thiolato ligands in the starting titanocene derivatives. The cytotoxicity of the non-functionalized MCM-41 and S1-S3 toward human cancer cell lines such as adenocarcinoma HeLa, human myelogenous leukemia K562 and human malignant melanoma Fem-x has been studied. In addition the cytotoxicity of these materials on normal immunocompetent cells such as stimulated (PBMC+PHA) and non-stimulated (PBMC-PHA) peripheral blood mononuclear cells have been also studied. M(50) values (quantity of material needed to inhibit normal cell survival by 50%) of the studied surfaces show that non-functionalized MCM-41 was not active against any of the studied cells, while the functionalized surfaces S1-S3 were active against all the tested human cancer cells. The cytotoxic activity of surfaces S2 and S3 were very similar, however, S1 showed lower cytotoxic activity. This phenomenon indicates that the cytotoxicity of the titanocene-functionalized materials strongly depends on the titanium content.

A new generation of anticancer drugs: mesoporous materials modified with titanocene complexes

Dehydroxylated MCM-41 and SBA-15 surfaces were modified by the grafting of two different titanocene complexes ([Ti(eta(5)-C(5)H(4)Me)(2)Cl(2)] and [Ti{Me(2)Si(eta(5)-C(5)Me(4))(eta(5)-C(5)H(4))}Cl(2)]) to give new materials, which have been characterized by powder X-ray diffraction, X-ray fluorescence, nitrogen gas sorption, MAS-NMR spectroscopy, thermogravimetry, SEM, and TEM. The toxicity of the resulting materials toward human adenocarcinoma HeLa, human myelogenous leukemia K562, human malignant melanoma Fem-x, and normal immunocompetent cells, such as peripheral blood mononuclear cells PBMC has been studied. Estimation of the number of particles per gram of material led to the calculation of Q(50) values for these samples, which is the number of particles required to inhibit normal cell growth by 50%. In addition, M(50) values (quantity of material needed to inhibit normal cell growth by 50%) of the studied surfaces is also reported. Nonfunctionalized MCM-41 and SBA-15 did not show notable antiproliferative activity, whereas functionalization of these materials with different titanocene based anticancer drugs led to very promising antitumoral activity. The best Q(50) values correspond to titanocene functionalized MCM-41 surfaces (MCM-41/[Ti(eta(5)-C(5)H(4)Me)(2)Cl(2)] (1) and MCM-41/[Ti{Me(2)Si(eta(5)-C(5)Me(4))(eta(5)-C(5)H(4))}Cl(2)] (2)) with Q(50) values between 3.8+/-0.6x10(8) and 24.5+/-3.0x10(8) particles. Titanocene functionalized SBA-15 surfaces (SBA-15/[Ti(eta(5)-C(5)H(4)Me)(2)Cl(2)] (3) and SBA-15/[Ti{Me(2)Si(eta(5)-C(5)Me(4))(eta(5)-C(5)H(4))}Cl(2)] (4)) gave higher Q(50) values, showing lower activity from 73.2+/-9.9x10(8) to 362+/-7x10(8) particles. The best response of the studied materials in terms of M(50) values was observed against Fem-x (309+/-42 microg for 4) and K562 (338+/-18 microg for 2), whereas moderate activities were observed in HeLa cells (from 508+/-63 microg of 2 to 912+/-10 microg of 1). In addition, the analyzed surfaces presented only marginal activity against unstimulated and stimulated PBMC, showing a slight selectivity on human cancer cells. Comparison of the in vitro cytotoxicity in solution of the titanocene complexes [Ti(eta(5)-C(5)H(4)Me)(2)Cl(2)] and [Ti{Me(2)Si(eta(5)-C(5)Me(4))(eta(5)-C(5)H(4))}Cl(2)] and the corresponding titanocene functionalized materials is also described.

Preparation and use of chemically modified MCM-41 and silica gel as selective adsorbents for Hg(II) ions

Adsorbents for Hg(II) ion extraction were prepared using amorphous silica gel and ordered MCM-41. Grafting with 2-(3-(2-aminoethylthio)propylthio)ethanamine was used to functionalize the silica. The functionalized adsorbents were characterized by nitrogen adsorption, X-ray diffraction, 13C MAS NMR spectroscopy and thermogravimetric analysis. The adsorption properties of the modified silica gel and MCM-41 were compared using batch method. The effect of pH, stirring time, ionic strength and foreign ions were studied. The extraction of Hg(II) ions occurred rapidly with the modified MCM-41 and the optimal pH range for the extraction by the modified materials was pH 4-7. Foreign ions, especially Cl- had some effect on the extraction efficiency of the modified silica gel and the modified MCM-41. The adsorption behavior of both adsorbents could be described by a Langmuir model at 298 K, and the maximum adsorption capacity of the modified silica gel and MCM-41 at pH 3 was 0.79 and 0.70 mmol g(-1), respectively. The modified MCM-41 showed a larger Langmuir constant than that of the modified silica gel, indicating a better ability for Hg(II) ion adsorption. The results indicate that the structure of the materials affects the adsorption behavior. These materials show a potential for the application as effective and selective adsorbents for Hg(II) removal from water.

Preparation, characterization, and Zn2+ adsorption behavior of chemically modified MCM-41 with 5-mercapto-1-methyltetrazole

A mesoporous silica (MCM-41) has been chemically modified with 5-mercapto-1-methyltetrazole using the homogeneous route. This synthetic route involved the reaction of 5-mercapto-1-methyltetrazole with 3-chloropropyltriethoxysilane prior to immobilization on the support. The resulting material (MTTZ-MCM-41) has been characterized by powder X-ray diffraction, nitrogen gas sorption, FT-IR and MAS NMR spectroscopy, thermogravimetry, and elemental analysis. The solid was employed as a Zn(II) adsorbent from aqueous solutions at room temperature. The effect of several variables (stirring time, pH, metal concentration, addition of ethanol, presence of other metals in the medium) has been studied using batch and column techniques. Flame atomic absorption spectrometry was used to determine the Zn(II) concentration in the filtrate or in the eluted solution after the adsorption process. Results obtained indicate that under the optimum conditions (pH 8 and 2 h stirring time), the maximum adsorption value for Zn(II) was 1.59+/-0.01 mmol/g, whereas the adsorption capacity of the unmodified mesoporous silica was about 0.010+/-0.001 mmol/g. On the other hand, the Zn(II) adsorption on the MTTZ-MCM-41 was independent of the presence of ethanol and other metals (Cu(II), Mn(II), Ca(II), and Mg(II)) in the medium. Finally, experiments carried out in order to study the regeneration capacity of the MTTZ-MCM-41 revealed that the adsorption capacity of this material was maintained after 3 cycles of the adsorption/desorption process.

Functionalized HMS mesoporous silica as solid phase extractant for Pb(II) prior to its determination by flame atomic absorption spectrometry

In this work, a mesoporous silica has been chemically modified with 5-mercapto-1-methyl-1-H-tetrazol using the homogeneous route (MTTZ-HMS). This synthetic route involved the reaction of 5-mercapto-1-methyl-1-H-tetrazol with 3-chloropropyltriethoxysilane, prior to immobilization on the support. The resulting material has been characterized and employed as solid phase extractant for Pb(II). The effect of several variables (stirring time, pH, temperature, metal concentration, presence of other metals) has been studied using batch and column techniques. In batch experiments, 15 min stirring time, 55 degrees C and pH 8 were the optimal conditions for Pb(II) adsorption. In column experiments, sorption was quantitative for 1000 mL of 2.41 x 10(-4 )mM of Pb(II) solution and adsorbed ions were eluted out by 5 mL of 1 M HCl (preconcentration factor of 200). Spiked tap water was used for the preconcentration and determination of Pb(II) by flame atomic absorption spectrometry, and a 100% recovery was obtained. The LOD and LOQ values of the proposed method were found to be 3.52 x 10(-3) and 4.20 x 10(-3 )mM, respectively. The RSD for three preconcentration experiments was found to be <or= 2%. The linear working range for measurements was between 2 x 10(-3 )and 0.14 mM (y = 0.0136x + 0.0007, R(2 )= 0.9999).

Synthesis of salicylaldehyde-modified mesoporous silica and its application as a new sorbent for separation, preconcentration and determination of uranium by inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectrometry

A new functionalized mesoporous silica (MCM-41) using salicylaldehyde was utilized for the separation, preconcentration and determination of uranium in natural water by inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectrometry (ICP-AES). Experimental conditions for effective adsorption of trace levels of U(VI) were optimized. The preconcentration factor was 100 (1.0 mL of elution for a 100 mL sample volume). The analytical curve was linear in the range 2-1000 microg L(-1) and the detection limit was 0.5 ng mL(-1). The relative standard deviation (R.S.D.) under optimum conditions was 2.5% (n=10). Common coexisting ions did not interfere with the separation and determination of uranium at pH 5. The sorbent exhibited excellent stability and its sorption capacity under optimum conditions has been found to be 10mg of uranium per gram of sorbent. The method was applied for the recovery and determination of uranium in different water samples.