Hybrid mineral@silsesquioxane particles for water remediation: synthesis, characterization and application as adsorbent of As(V) and other water pollutants

IGNACIO E. DELL´ERBA; WAIMAN, CAROLINA V; GOMEZ, MARÍA LORENA (*); WAIMAN, CAROLINA V; GOMEZ, MARÍA LORENA (*); C. A. CHESTA; C. A. CHESTA; IGNACIO E. DELL´ERBA

JOURNAL OF MATERIALS SCIENCE

SPRINGER

Año: 2018 vol. 58 p. 12781 - 12794

0022-2461

Mineral-coated silsesquioxane particles of approximately 600 nm diameter weresynthesized from the hydrolytic co-condensation of N-[3-trimethoxysilyl]-propyl]ethylenediamine (DAS) and tetraethyl orthosilicate (TEOS). The hybridparticles involve nanocomposites with a mineral core (montmorillonite?MMT?or goethite?Gt?nanoparticles) and coated with a silsesquioxane shellcontaining hydroxyl and amine groups. These particles were specially designed(exposing amino groups) to be highly efficient for the removal of As(V) and toenhance the adsorption properties of the minerals employed in this work. Theywere characterized by infrared spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, scanning electronmicroscopy, zeta potential, dynamic light scattering and thermogravimetrictechniques such as dynamic scanning calorimetry and thermogravimetricanalysis. The characteristics found in the composite particles compared withpure organosilane DAS/TEOS or with the unmodified minerals proved theeffectiveness of the silanization process. As result, hybrid nanocompositematerials were obtained, denoting versatility in their adsorption properties ofdifferent types of pollutants. Moreover, all synthesized particles showed a higharsenic retention capacity; experimental results demonstrated that superficialmodification of the minerals is the preponderant factor that determines theiradsorbent properties, favoring the versatility of these materials making themsuitable for the removal of pollutants of diverse charge and nature.