Adsorption properties of lamellar silica

Isotherms and heats of adsorption of water, n-heptane, trimethylamine, and methanol (at 303 K) vapors and isotherms of adsorption of nitrogen (at 77 K) on the lamellar silica prepared by removing metals from natural mineral vermiculate were measured. The surface concentration of adsorption sites and their energetic characteristics were found to be similar to those of ordinary silicas. The distinction of the lamellar silica from ordinary silicas manifests itself through extended desorption branches, a feature that makes it possible to classify the lamellar silica under study as a limitedly swellable sorbent.     

Effect of pore structure in mesoporous silicas on VOC dynamic adsorption/desorption performance

The dynamic adsorption/desorption behavior of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) such as toluene (C7H8) and benzene (C6H6) was evaluated for three kinds of mesoporous silicas of SBA-15, all having almost the same mesopore size of ca. 5.7 nm, and a MCM-41 silica with a smaller pore size of 2.1 nm using a continuous three-step test. The fiberlike SBA-15 silica exhibited exceptionally good breakthrough behavior, a higher VOC capacity, and easier desorption. The fiberlike silica was composed through the catenation of rodlike particles. The rodlike silicas, by comparison, were proven to be less useful in dynamic adsorption processes because of lower dynamic VOC capacities despite having comparative porous parameters with the fiberlike silica. The large dynamic VOC capacity of the fiberlike silica was attributed to the presence of a bimodal pore system consisting of longer, one-dimensional mesopore channels connected by complementary micropores.     

Investigation of factors affecting the adsorption of functional molecules onto gel silicas. 1. Flow microcalorimetry and infrared spectroscopy

Flow microcalorimetry and infrared spectroscopy were used to study the surface structure and adsorptive properties of a series of calcined and uncalcined porous silicas. The adsorbates DL-menthol, (R)-(+)-limonene, (+/-)-citronellal and carvone were selected for their functionality, that included carbonyl, vinylic and hydroxyl groups. The amounts of probe retained by the silicas together with the energy exchange involved in the adsorption/desorption process were determined by flow microcalorimetry. The functional groups involved in these interactions were studied by means of infrared spectroscopy. It was observed that the strongest interactions with the silica surface took place through hydrogen bonding onto the surface silanol. The most retentive probes were found to be those with a carbonyl group in their structure. Adsorption onto calcined silicas was found to be less energetic than onto the equivalent calcined samples. The adsorption densities were compared with theoretical predictions based on molecular models. In all cases apart from citronellal monolayer coverage were not observed due to steric effects.     

Enhanced Formaldehyde‐Vapor Adsorption Capacity of Polymeric Amine‐Incorporated Aminosilicas

Airborne formaldehyde, which is a highly problematic volatile organic compound (VOC) pollutant, is adsorbed by polymeric amine‐incorporated silicas (aminosilicas), and the factors that affect the adsorption performance are systematically investigated. Three different types of polymeric amines 1) poly(ethyleneimine) branched (PEIBR); 2) poly(ethyleneimine) linear (PEILI); and 3) poly(allylamine) (PAA) are impregnated into two types of porous silicas [SBA‐15 and mesocellular foam (MCF) silicas] with systematic changes of the amine loadings. The adsorption results demonstrate that the adsorption capacity increases along with the amine loading until the polymeric amines completely fill the silica pores. This results in the MCF silica, which has a larger pore volume and hence can accommodate more polymeric amine before completely filling the pore, giving materials that adsorb more formaldehyde, with the largest adsorption capacity, q, of up to 5.7 mmol_HCHO g^?1 among the samples studied herein. Of the three different types of polymers, PAA, comprised of 100 % primary amines, showed the highest amine efficiency μ (mmol_HCHO/mmol_N) for capturing formaldehyde. The chemical structures of the adsorbed formaldehyde are analyzed by ¹³C cross‐polarization magic‐angle spinning (CP‐MAS) NMR, and it is demonstrated that the adsorbed formaldehyde is chemically attached to the aminosilica surface, forming hemiaminal and imine species. Because the chemical adsorption of formaldehyde forms covalent bonds, it is not desorbed from the aminosilicas below 130 °C based on temperature‐programed‐desorption (TPD) analysis. The high formaldehyde‐adsorption capacity and stability of the trapped formaldehyde on the amine surface in this study reveal the potential utility of aminosilicas as formaldehyde abatement materials.     

Tailoring pore properties of MCM-48 silica for selective adsorption of CO2

Four different types of amine-attached MCM-48 silicas were prepared and investigated for CO(2) separation from N(2). Monomeric and polymeric hindered and unhindered amines were attached to the pore surface of the MCM-48 silica and characterized with respect to their CO(2) sorption properties. The pore structures and amino group content in these modified silicas were investigated by XRD, FT-IR, TGA, N(2) adsorption/desorption at 77 K and CHN/Si analysis, which confirmed that in all cases the amino groups were attached to the pore surface of MCM-48 at 1.5-5.2 mmol/g. The N(2) adsorption/desorption analysis showed a considerable decrease of the pore volume and surface area for the MCM-48 silica containing a polymeric amine (e.g., polyethyleneimine). The CO(2) adsorption rates and capacities of the amine-attached MCM-48 samples were studied employing a sorption microbalance. The results obtained indicated that in addition to the concentration of surface-attached amino groups, specific interactions between CO(2) and the surface amino groups, and the resultant pore structure after amine group attachment have a significant impact on CO(2) adsorption properties of these promising adsorbent materials.     

Binary liquid mixtures in porous solids

The technique of nuclear magnetic resonance cryoporometry has been used to study the behavior of binary liquid mixtures of water and decane in porous sol-gel silicas. It was observed that the water preferentially adsorbed onto the silica surface and so was able to displace the decane from the pores.     

Effect of salts on synthesis of mesoporous materials with mixed cationic and anionic surfactants as templates

Mesoporous silica materials were synthesized using tetraеthoxysilane as precursor and liquid crystals formed in aqueous mixtures of cetyl trimethyl ammonium bromide (CTAB) and sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) as templates, without and with the addition of NaBr or Na₂SO₄. For this purpose, the formation of liquid crystals as a function of the ratio of CTAB and SDS under different conditions was studied. It was found that liquid crystals formed in the mixed system of CTAB and SDS at certain mixing ratios are well-structured templates for the synthesis of mesoporous silicas. The synthesized silica materials were characterized by transmission electron microscope and nitrogen adsorption/desorption analysis. The pore size of mesoporous silicas could be controlled between 3 to 6 nm by simply changing the concentration of NaBr in solution. The mesoporous silicas exhibited lamellar structure and the order of structural arrangement was promoted with addition of NaBr. However, addition of Na₂SO₄ led to ink-bottle type pores of mesoporous silica with a narrow pore size distribution of around 2 nm and a higher specific surface area of 610 m² g^–1.     

Adsorption of mercury ions by mercapto-functionalized amorphous silica

Amorphous silicas have been functionalized by two different methods. In the heterogeneous route the silylating agent, 3-chloropropyltriethoxysilane, was initially immobilized onto the silica surface to give the chlorinated silica Cl-Sil. In a second reaction, multifunctionalized N,S donor compounds were incorporated to obtain the functionalized silicas, which are denoted as L-Sil-Het (where L=mercaptothiazoline, mercaptopyridine or mercaptobenzothiazole). In the homogeneous route, the functionalization was achieved through a one-step reaction between the silica and an organic ligand containing the chelating functions; this gave the modified silicas denoted as L-Sil-Hom. The functionalized silicas were characterized by elemental analysis, IR spectroscopy and thermogravimetry. These materials were employed as adsorbents for mercury cations from aqueous and acetone solutions at room temperature. The results indicate that, in all cases, mercury adsorption was higher in the modified silicas prepared by the homogeneous method. Figure     

Towards the ultimate minimum particle diameter of silica packings in capillary electrochromatography

Porous silica beads with an average particle diameter between 0.2 and 3 microm have been applied as packing material in capillary electrochromatography (CEC). The experiments were directed to investigate whether it is really feasible and as promising as expected to use such small particles. In CEC, plate heights of H approximately/= 1-2 d(p) can be achieved which is smaller than the plate heights usually attained in high-performance liquid chromatography. Using a capillary packed with 0.5 microm silica beads we achieved a plate height of H = 3 d(p) indicating the presence of dispersive effects like Joule heating. Calculations demonstrate that at a field strength of about 800 V cm(-1) one third of the plate height can be lost by Joule heating effects if the heat is not removed by a cooling system. Additionally, the H(u) curve is still descending at the maximum electroosmotic flow (EOF) velocity we generated with the modified capillary electrophoresis instrument. To fully exploit the potential of submicron size silicas higher field strengths, i.e., higher EOF velocities, must be attained. To study the influence of the kind of packing on the EOF porous as well as nonporous silicas have been applied. The experiments clearly indicate that the EOF of porous and nonporous silicas is the same. Since the EOF is more or less exclusively generated by the packing material the zeta potential of n-octyl bonded 0.5 microm silica has been determined. The dependence of the zeta potential on the pH is identical to the dependence of the EOF on the pH in a packed capillary. The point of zero charge of the silica is at pH 2-3.     

Retention characteristics of octadecylsilyl silica,trimethylsilyl silica and phenyldimethylsilyl silica in reversed-phase liquid chromatography

Summary The hydrophobic retention characteristics of stationary ligands for reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography have been evaluated from the slope (r-value) of the plots relating the capacity factors (log k) of selected aliphatic and aromatic compounds with the reciprocal of methanol concentration (log (1/[MeOH])) in aqueous mobile phase. Octadecylsilyl (ODS), trimethylsilyl (TMS) and phenyldimethylsilyl (phenyl) groups were selected as the stationary ligands bonded to silica support.On ODS or TMS silicas, unlike on phenyl silica, aliphatic compounds gave slightly larger r-values than aromatic compounds, indicating that the shape of the ligand recognizes the hydrophobic surfaces of aliphatic and aromatic solute molecules. On TMS and phenyl silicas, the degree of solute hydrophobicity contributing to its retention is about 90% and 85% of that on ODS silica, respectively. On the other hand, on TMS and phenyl silicas, the polar functional group on the solute molecule brought about a smaller decrease in retention than on ODS silica.     

Modified nanoporous silicas for oral delivery of the water insoluble organotin compound: loading and release of methylphenyltin dichloride as an anti-tumor drug model

Different nanoporous silica materials, MCM-41, MCM-48 and SBA-15, were modified by pyridine and their applications for oral drug delivery system were evaluated. These pyridine functionalized nanoporous silicas were loaded with a water insoluble diorganotin(IV) dichloride complex as an antitumor drug model and its release from them were investigated by changing pH. An efficient pH-responsive carrier system was constructed by coordination of the pyridine group in modified nonoporous materials to tin complex. In vitro, releasing of loaded tin complex was studied in three different kinds of fluids, including a simulated gastric medium and a simulated body fluid. The loading and releasing of the diorganotin(IV) dichloride from various modified nanoporous silicas and also a non-porous silica (SiO₂) were investigated, and the results were compared. In addition, the effect of some factors such as pH, time of loading and releasing were investigated through this study.     

Catalytic performances of Ni/mesoporous SiO_2 catalysts for dry reforming of methane to hydrogen

Several mesoporous silicas with different morphologies were controllably prepared by sol-gel method with adjustable ratio of dual template,and they were further impregnated with aqueous solution of nickel nitrate,followed by calcination in air.The synthesized silica supports and supported nickel samples were characterized using N_2-adsorption/desorption,X-ray diffraction(XRD),H_2 temperature-programmed reduction(H_2-TPR),Scanning electron microscope(SEM),Transmission electron microscope(TEM) and thermo-gravimetric analysis(TGA-DTG) techniques.The Ni nanoparticles supported on shell-like silica are highly dispersed and yielded much narrower nickel particle-size than those on other mesoporous silica.The methane reforming with dioxide carbon reaction results showed that Ni nanoparticles supported on shell-like silica carrier exhibited the better catalytic performance and catalytic stability than those of nickel catalyst supported on other silica carrier.The thermo-gravimetric analysis on used nickel catalysts uncovered that catalyst deactivation depends on the type and nature of the coke deposited.The heterogeneous nature of the deposited coke was observed on nickel nanoparticles supported on spherical and peanut-like silica.Much narrower and lower TGA derivative peak was founded on Ni catalyst supported on the shell-like silica.     

Low-temperature reaction of trialkoxysilanes on silica gel: a mild and controlled method for modifying silica surfaces

The room temperature reaction of 4-(triethoxysilyl)butyronitrile, 4-TBN ((C2H5O)3Si(CH2)3CN), on weakly hydrated silica samples pretreated at 393 K has been studied by desorption experiments and by diffuse reflectance infrared Fourier transform (DRIFT) spectroscopy at different aging times under various water partial pressures. The reaction is demonstrated by the decrease of desorption of 4-TBN with time and the simultaneous disappearance of the 2980 and 1394 cm(-1) signals in the DRIFT spectra, assigned to the CH3 moiety of the ethoxy functions. Water partial pressure is shown to have a crucial effect on the rate and efficiency of the process as, after 6 days, for samples kept at room temperature under vacuum, ca. 50% of the silane has reacted, while for those kept in a water-saturated atmosphere the silane reaction reaches 96%. Although the silane appears to be irreversibly bonded to the surface, no definite conclusion may be drawn from these preliminary results as to the nature of the bonding (grafting or coating). These samples are compared to modified silicas prepared according to conventional methods. The same extent of silane reaction (50%) is achieved for preadsorbed samples kept under vacuum and either cured at 473 K for 30 h or kept at room temperature for 6 days. A mild and controlled modification of silica by triethoxysilanes can thus be achieved by first physisorbing known amounts of the modifying silanes from an organic solvent on pretreated silica and then letting the samples mature for a few days at room temperature in a water-saturated atmosphere.     

有序介孔硅胶及其复合材料作固定相在液相色谱中的应用

系统地介绍了有序介孔硅胶及其复合材料的研究进展。重点评述了颗粒状无机介孔硅胶材料、颗粒状有机-无机复合介孔硅胶材料、手性介孔硅胶材料和整块介孔硅胶材料在用作液相色谱固定相方面的最新进展。对硅基有序介孔材料制备方面存在的问题进行了分析,并就该领域今后的发展趋势做了展望。     

Sol–gel synthesis of mesoporous silicas containing albumin and guanidine polymers and its application to the bilirubin adsorption

The organic–inorganic composite materials based on mesoporous silica were synthesized using sol–gel method. The surface area of silicas was modified by bovine serum albumin (BSA) and guanidine polymers: polyacrylate guanidine (PAG) and polymethacrylate guanidine. The mesoporous silicas were characterized by nitrogen adsorption–desorption analysis, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, transmission electron microscopy. The obtained materials were used as adsorbents for selective bilirubin removal. It was shown that the structural properties and surface area of modified materials depend on the nature of polymers. Incorporation of polymers in silica gel matrix during sol–gel process leads to the formation of mesoporous structure with high pore diameter and a BET surface area equals to 346 m²/g for SiO₂/BSA and 160 m²/g for SiO₂/PAG. Analysis of adsorption isotherms showed that modification of silica by BSA and guanidine polymers increases its adsorption ability to bilirubin molecules. According to Langmuir model, the maximum bilirubin adsorption capacity was 1.18 mg/g.     

Rheological properties of polyurethane adhesives containing silica as filler: influence of the nature and surface chemistry of silica

Four silicas, two fumed silicas (one hydrophilic and one hydrophobic) and two precipitated silicas (one hydrophilic and one hydrophobic), were added as filler to solvent‐based polyurethane (PU) adhesive formulations. In general, the addition of silica increased the viscosity, the storage and loss moduli of the PU adhesives but only the hydrophilic fumed silica exhibited pseudoplasticity and thixotropy. The rheological properties imparted by adding filmed silicas to PU adhesive solutions were more noticeable than that of precipitated silicas. Interactions between the hydrophilic fumed silica, the polyurethane and/or the solvent seemed to be responsible for the improved rheological properties of filled PU adhesives.     

Nitrogen Adsorption Study of MCM-41 Molecular Sieves Synthesized Using Hydrothermal Restructuring

Nitrogen desorption scanning hysteresis loops (DSHLs) for large-pore MCM-41 silicas (pore diameter from 4.0 to 6.5 nm) are reported for the first time. DSHLs for MCM-41 were compared with those of conventional mesoporous silicas and no appreciable differences were found, although hysteresis loops and DSHLs for the latter were usually broader. Since desorption behavior of conventional porous silicas is appreciably influenced by pore connectivity, the observed similarity in hysteresis behavior suggests single-pore blocking effects for MCM-41 due to variation of pore diameter along its nonintersecting channels. It was also shown that the steepness of nitrogen desorption branches at relative pressures close to 0.4 often results from proximity of the lower pressure limit of adsorption-desorption irreversibility and consequently it is not justified to consider it as an indication of narrow pore size distribution. Thus, application of desorption data in calculations of pore size distributions may be grossly misleading.     

The characterization of silica microparticles by electrophoretic mobility measurements

Summary Electrophoretic mobility measurements in the pH 2‐10 range are described for several commercial HPLC silica microparticles and a laboratory-produced product. The content of metal impurities for the silicas was also determined by AAS. An acidic/hydrothermal treatment was used to generate a more homogenous surface for some of the silicas. The zero points of charge (zpc) for both a native and a treated silica plus several commercial HPLC silicas were compared. The electrophoretic mobility method may be useful in predicting the utility of certain types of silica supports for chromatographic separations.     

Effect of various inorganic cations (Li,Na, K and Cs) and silica sources on the synthesis of the silica analogue of zeolite NCL-1 (Si-NCL-1)

The role of various inorganic cations such as Li, Na, K and Cs has been studied in the hydrothermal synthesis of the silica polymorph of zeolite NCL-1 (Si-NCL-1). The crystallization time decreases in the order (Cs + Na) > K > Na> (Li + Na) under otherwise identical gel composition and crystallization conditions. Further, the synthesis has been standardized using different silica sources including various fumed silicas with different surface area and particle size, through optimizing the OH⁻/Si molar ratio by adding the required amount of alkali hydroxide in the synthesis gel. Among different silica sources (fumed silicas, tetraethyl orthosilicate, silica sol etc.), fumed silicas with smaller particles (~0.007 μn) like Sigma S-5005, S-5130, and Cab-O-Sil-M5 were found to be quite effective and preferable for the synthesis of Si-NCL-1 molecular sieves. These materials were characterized through XRD, IR, SEM, sorption and surface area measurements.     

Effect of chemical nature of nanosized silica surface on the adsorption of D-glucose

The powders of unmodified silica, as well as silicas modified with poly(ethyleneimine) and 3-aminopropyltriethoxysilane are synthesized by the sol-gel method. The obtained powders and their suspensions in water are characterized by IR spectroscopy, atomic force microscopy, and spectroturbidimetry. The adsorption ability of D-glucose on the surface of the aforementioned powders is studied. It is shown that this monosaccharide is not adsorbed on the surface of unmodified silica, but is adsorbed on the surface of aminated silicas. The differences in the interaction of D-glucose with the studied particles are discussed from the viewpoint of the nature of surface chemical groups.