Organically-modified mesoporous silica spheres with MCM-41 architecture as sorbents for heavy metals

摘要

A new hybrid organic-inorganic material with ordered mesoporous structure (MCM41) and spherical morphology (Stoeber silica) has been synthesized by co-condensation of tetraethoxysilane (TEOS) and organoalkoxysilanes in water/ethanol solution containing ammoniac and in the presence of cetyltrimethylammonium bromide as templating agent. The attractive properties of such spherical ordered mesoporous silicas, MCM-41 type, functionalized with organic ligands (aminopropyl and mercaptopropyl) are demonstrated by providing batch, kinetic and voltammetric studies of their metal-ion-binding ability. Our efforts focus especially on the ion-exchange abilities of immobilised amine groups towards the chloro-complexes of mercury(Ⅱ), and on the adsorption of uncomplexed mercury(Ⅱ) species on the immobilised thiol groups.