Experimental and numerical study on water sorption over modified mesoporous silica

–SO₃H modified mesoporous silica adsorbent with water sorption capacity and fast desorption kinetics for water sorption was synthesized and studied via a combined experimental and numerical approach. Mesoporous silica was synthesized using sol–gel method in H₂SO₄ medium. The water adsorption isotherms and kinetics over the silica were evaluated by a dynamic water vapor sorption analyzer. Mesoporous silica was modeled using annealing simulation with CVFF forcefield. –SO₃H modified mesoporous silica was modeled by the attachment of –SO₃H to the surface hydroxyl groups and validated. Simulation results show water sorption capacity at low relative humidity (RH) increases with –SO₃H loading on mesoporous silica. Energy distribution of intermolecular interaction and micro-view of water sorption over –SO₃H modified mesoporous silica reveal that although strong interaction (intermolecular interaction of ?40 to ?20 kcal/mol) between hydrophilic groups (–SO₃H) with water can increase water sorption capacity at low RH, weak H₂O–H₂O interaction (intermolecular interaction of ?20 to ?10 kcal/mol) dominated water sorption capacity at both low and high RH.     

Dielectric isotherms of water sorption on pyrogenic silica and titania surfaces

Water sorption on the surfaces of pyrogenic SiO₂ (S=290 m²/g) and TiO₂ (S=50 m²/g) has been studied. The dielectric isotherm curves show that on the surface of TiO₂ (anatase) a continuous water layer is formed at =1.9 but none is formed on the silica surface. Sorption occurs only as definite clusters.     

Mechanisms and kinetics for sorption of CO2 on bicontinuous mesoporous silica modified with n-propylamine

We studied equilibrium adsorption and uptake kinetics and identified molecular species that formed during sorption of carbon dioxide on amine-modified silica. Bicontinuous silicas (AMS-6 and MCM-48) were postsynthetically modified with (3-aminopropyl)triethoxysilane or (3-aminopropyl)methyldiethoxysilane, and amine-modified AMS-6 adsorbed more CO(2) than did amine-modified MCM-48. By in situ FTIR spectroscopy, we showed that the amine groups reacted with CO(2) and formed ammonium carbamate ion pairs as well as carbamic acids under both dry and moist conditions. The carbamic acid was stabilized by hydrogen bonds, and ammonium carbamate ion pairs formed preferably on sorbents with high densities of amine groups. Under dry conditions, silylpropylcarbamate formed, slowly, by condensing carbamic acid and silanol groups. The ratio of ammonium carbamate ion pairs to silylpropylcarbamate was higher for samples with high amine contents than samples with low amine contents. Bicarbonates or carbonates did not form under dry or moist conditions. The uptake of CO(2) was enhanced in the presence of water, which was rationalized by the observed release of additional amine groups under these conditions and related formation of ammonium carbamate ion pairs. Distinct evidence for a fourth and irreversibly formed moiety was observed under sorption of CO(2) under dry conditions. Significant amounts of physisorbed, linear CO(2) were detected at relatively high partial pressures of CO(2), such that they could adsorb only after the reactive amine groups were consumed.     

Silver(I) sorption by silica gels chemically modified with mercaptopropyl or dipropyl disulfide groups

The sorption of silver(I) from nitric and hydrochloric acid solutions with silica gels chemically modified with mercaptopropyl groups (MPSG) and dipropyl disulfide groups (DDSG) has been studied. For nitric acid solutions, the highest silver(I) recovery factor (99.0–99.9%) is reached in the acidity range between 5 M HNO₃ and pH 8 for MPSG and between 2 M HNO₃ and pH 8 for DDSG. In the sorption of silver(I) from hydrochloric acid solutions with MPSG, the recovery factor is 99% at pH 2–7. The recovery of silver(I) from chloride solutions with DDSG depends significantly on the chloride ion concentration. The treatment of silver-containing DDSG with a water-ethanol or water-dimethylformamide solution of Michler thioketone yields an intensely colored, reddish claret, mixed-ligand silver(I) complex on the sorbent surface. The diffuse reflectance spectrum of this complex shows a band peaking at 520 nm.     

Methane sorption in ordered mesoporous silica SBA-15 in the presence of water

Methane or natural gas is a practical alternative fuel of vehicles. To develop more efficient technology of on-board storage, a possibility of using SBA-15 as the methane carrier is tested. An ordered mesoporous silica molecular sieve SBA-15 is synthesized aimed at collecting the data of methane sorption in the presence of water. The synthesized material is examined with SEM, TEM, and XRD analyses, and the hexagonal channel structure is confirmed. Its textual parameters are evaluated on the basis of the adsorption data for nitrogen at 77 K, and it gives the results of 802 m2/g for the specific surface area, 1.31 cm3/g for the pore volume, a narrow pore size distribution centered at 7.7 nm, and 4 nm for the width of the partition wall. Methane sorption isotherms on SBA-15 are collected with a volumetric method for samples of different contents of water, and the enhancement of the sorption capacity due to the presence of water is observed. A discussion on the mechanism of the sorption enhancement is presented.     

Organo-modified mesoporous silica for sorption of carbon dioxide

Abstract  

Organo-modified mesoporous silica SBA-15 has been studied for sorption of carbon dioxide (CO₂). The SBA-15 sample was functionalized with a branched chain polymer, polyethylenimine (PEI), of different molecular weights (1,300 and 2,000 g mol⁻¹). Surface modification was carried out by impregnation of silica by PEI or by grafting with (3-chloropropyl)triethoxysilane, followed by substitution of chlorine atoms by PEI ligands. The prepared modified mesoporous materials were characterized by nitrogen adsorption/desorption at 77 K, high-resolution transmission electron microscopy, small-angle X-ray scattering, and thermal methods. Sorption of CO₂ was studied by gravimetric method at 303 K. The total amount of sorbed CO₂ varied between 0.19–0.67 mmol/g for respective samples. Regeneration of the materials after adsorption was achieved by thermal treatment at 343 K.     

Some aspects of estimation of extraction selectivity under the conditions of competitive sorption on modified silica gels

Systematic studies of silica gels with covalently immobilized thiosemicarbazide and formazan groups under the conditions of competitive sorption from multicomponent systems were conducted. A methodological approach to determine the selectivity of the modified sorption material with regard to Cu(II), Ni(II), Co(II), Cd(II), and Zn(II) was proposed. Solid-phase extraction in equilibrium conditions of Cu(II), Zn(II), Co(II), Cd(II), and Ni(II) on a silica gel with covalently immobilized thiosemicarbazide and formazan groups in the conditions of competitive sorption was studied. The possibility to use the pseudo-second-order kinetic equation for assessment of mutual influence at competitive sorption has been shown. We found that sorption from multicomponent solutions proceeds as a non-additive process under the conditions of an excess of functional groups.

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Characterization of chemically modified silica gels by DRIFT spectroscopy

Chemically modified silica gels are investigated with respect to identity, purity and degree of surface coverage using diffuse reflectance FTIR (DRIFT) Spectroscopy. We report the results for two bonded HPLC phases, pyrene butyric acid propylamido- and octadecyl-groups grafted on irregular porous silica gel. For quantitative determination calibration standards are prepared by adsorbing structurally similar ligand compounds onto the surface of the silica gel; these coated materials give linear calibration curves up to a concentration of 1 mmol/g modified silica gel.     

CO2 sorption in wet ordered mesoporous silica kit-6: effects of water content and mechanism on enhanced sorption capacity

The sorption isotherms of CO₂ in wet ordered mesoporous silica KIT-6 with different amounts of pre-adsorbed water were firstly collected experimentally using a volumetric method in the temperature range of 275–281 K. The isotherms show an inflection point indicating CO₂ hydrates form in the pore spaces which is proofed by the enthalpy change calculated at the inflection pressure, and the quantity of water content shows considerable effect on the sorption capacity of CO₂. The highest enhancement of sorption capacity in the presence of water is observed in wet KIT-6 sample with water loadings of 2.48, which is about 12.80 mmol/g and 1.86 times than that on dry sample. However, the saturation capacity is still far less than that what can be stored merely in the form of hydrates due to the low ratio of water utilization because of the large pore and the polar surface of KIT-6.     

Non-Fickian water vapor sorption dynamics by Nafion membranes

Dynamics of water absorption from a saturated vapor and water desorption into dry air for Nafion 1100 EW ionomers have been measured for film thicknesses between 51 and 606 microm and at temperatures ranging from 30 to 90 degrees C. Water absorption and desorption exhibit two distinct non-Fickian characteristics: (1) desorption is 10 times faster than absorption and (2) the normalized mass change does not collapse to a single master curve when plotted against time normalized by membrane thickness squared, t/l2, for either absorption or desorption. Water desorption data were fit well by a model in which diffusion is rapid and interfacial mass transport resistance is the rate-limiting process for water loss. Water absorption is described by a two-stage process. At early times, interfacial mass transport controls water absorption, and at longer times, water absorption is controlled by the dynamics of polymer swelling and relaxation.     

Acetone adsorption on hydroxylated silica gel: Correlation of sorption isotherms and IR spectra

The synthesis of MTBE from methanol and isobutene has been carried out over a ZSM-5 based catalyst, in two types of continuous flow catalytic reactors, fixed-bed and fluidized-bed. We have studied the influence of the molar ratio methanol to isobutene, the temperature and the weight hourly spatial velocity (WHSV) on the yield of MTBE.     

Water adsorption-desorption isotherms of two-dimensional hexagonal mesoporous silica around freezing point

Zr-doped mesoporous silica with a diameter of approximately 3.8 nm was synthesized via an evaporation-induced self-assembly process, and the adsorption-desorption isotherms of water vapor were measured in the temperature range of 263-298 K. The measured adsorption-desorption isotherms below 273 K indicated that water confined in the mesopores did not freeze at any relative pressure. All isotherms had a steep curve, resulting from capillary condensation/evaporation, and a pronounced hysteresis. The hysteresis loop, which is associated with a delayed adsorption process, increased with a decrease in temperature. Furthermore, the curvature radius where capillary evaporation/condensation occurs was evaluated by the combined Kelvin and Gibbs-Tolman-Koening-Buff (GTKB) equations for the modification of the interfacial tension due to the interfacial curvature. The thickness of the water adsorption layer for capillary condensation was slightly larger, whereas that for capillary evaporation was slightly smaller than 0.7 nm.     

Dynamics of the sorption of phosphatidylcholine by mesoporous composites based on MCM-41

The possibility of predicting the breakthrough curves of a phospholipid (PL) during its sorption by mesoporous composites based on MCM-41 using models of the dynamics of sorption that consider the kinetics of adsorption (the Thomas model) and mixed diffusion (the asymptotic model) is demonstrated using phosphatidylcholine (PC) as an example. The effect the kinetic parameters have on the tailing of the sorption front with respect to the mixed diffusion limitation of the sorption of nonpolar biologically active substances (BASes) is shown. It is found that the ordered structure of composite materials based on MCM-41 ensures a high rate of mass transfer and thus little tailing of the sorption front, when compared to sorbents with a lower degree of order (silica gel and polymer materials) during the sorption of a phospholipid under dynamic conditions. Based on calculations of the parameter of pattern Λ under the conditions of the dynamic mode of sorption in mixed diffusion kinetics, it is shown that the sorption of phosphatidylcholine from hexane solutions by mesoporous composites based on MCM-41 allows the sorption chromatographic process to proceed in the most advantageous (quasi-equilibrium) mode.     

Comparative analysis of isotherms of water vapor adsorption on oxides

Comparative method is suggested for the analysis of water vapor adsorption on the partially dehydroxylated surface of Si, Al, Ti, Zn, etc., oxides. The method removes distortions typical of BET method, usually employed here, allows to calculate correctly the surface area and values of specific adsorption due to the change of surface hydroxy coverage.     

Specific feature of water vapor sorption by chitosan medicated films

Sorption properties of chitosan-based medicated films were studied. IR and UV spectroscopies were used to confirm that chitosan chemically interacts with medicinal preparations. It is assumed that structural changes occurring in the polymer matrix either as a result of introduction of medicinal substances, or in the course of isothermal annealing of films lead to significant departures of the fundamental aspects of the sorption process from the classical Fick’s mechanism.     

Modeling of water vapor adsorption isotherms onto polyacrylic polymer

The adsorbed amounts of water vapor onto polyacrylic polymer (polymer ×10) were measured using a thermogravimetry method as a function of pressure at 298 and 313 K. The adsorption isotherms are categorized to type II isotherms by IUPAC classification leading to a hysteresis loop between adsorption and desorption branches. The current study was completed by the measurement of the adsorption heats at 298 K using a differential scanning calorimetry. The calorimetric curves showed two adsorption heats domains. These domains have been attributed to the adsorption of “equivalent monolayer” and the condensation of water between polymeric chains. The correlation of experimental data to some chosen theoretical models shows that the GAB model is the most adequate to describe water vapor sorption isotherms.