Abstract
A series of ordered mesoporous silica such as MCM-41, SBA-3 and SBA-15, in addition to silica micro- (SM) and nano- (SN) mesoporous particles, were prepared. The preparation conditions were found to greatly influence the physical-surface properties including morphological structure, porosity, particle size, aggregate average size, surface area, pore size, pore volume and zeta potential of the prepared silica, while the chemical structure, predicted from FT-IR spectra, and the diffraction patterns, predicted from wide-angle X-ray diffraction spectra, were identical. Surface areas of approximately 1500, 1027, 600, 552 and 317 m2 g−1, pore volumes of 0.93, 0.56, 0.82, 0.72 and 0.5 cm3 g−1, radii of 2.48, 2.2, 5.66, 6.6 and 8.98 nm, average aggregate sizes of 56, 65.4, 220.9, 73, 61.1 and 261 nm and zeta potential values of −32.8, −46.1, −26.3, −31.4 and −25.9 mV were obtained for MCM-41, SBA-3, SBA-15, SN and SM, respectively. Methylene blue dye uptake capacity of the prepared silica types was investigated using the batch technique and, in addition, the most effective material was further studied by the column flow system. The kinetics and isotherms of the uptake process were studied. The morphological structure, surface area, pore radius and zeta potential values were the most correlated factors.
Highlights
This article has been edited by the Royal Society of Chemistry, including the commissioning, peer review process and editorial aspects up to the point of acceptance
The nitrogen adsorption–desorption isotherms over the surface of the different silica materials as well as the pore size distribution curves of various prepared samples are illustrated in figure 1a,b, and their surface parameters are summarized in table 1
MCM-41 exhibits type IV isotherm with a distinct capillary condensation step, which is a characteristic pattern of mesoporous materials according to IUPAC classification
Summary
Triblock copolymer Pluronic P123 (PEG 20-PPG 70-PEG 20) poly(ethylene glycol)-block-poly(propylene glycol)-block-poly(ethylene glycol) molecular weight of 5800 and tetraethyl orthosilicate (TEOS) were purchased from Sigma-Aldrich, and cationic surfactant cetyltrimethyl ammonium bromide (CTAB) was purchased from MP Biomedicals, Inc., France. Thirty per cent solution of ammonium hydroxide, 37% hydrochloric acid, 98% acetic acid, absolute ethanol and methylene blue (MB) were purchased from Sigma Chemicals. All other chemicals and reagents were of analytical grade and were used as received without further purifications
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