Adsorption and gas-chromatographic properties of silver-modified silicas

Ag⁰ and Ag(I) nanoparticles are immobilized on the surface of a macroporous silica and amino silica. The adsorption kinetics of a basic dye, methylene blue (MB), from aqueous solutions and the adsorption isotherms of alkyne phenylacetylene from an octane solution are measured. The dependence of the rate constants of MB adsorption on the conditions of immobilization and silver reduction is considered. Silica containing immobilized Ag(I) is shown to have a high adsorption activity with respect to phenyl acetylene. By gas chromatography, it is shown that silver-modified silica has a higher selectivity with respect to alkenes. The reduction of silver on the silica surface and the complexation of silver ions with aminopropyl groups of amino silica lead to a significant decrease in the selectivity of composites.