Hybrid Films Based on a Bridged Silsesquioxane Doped with Goethite and Montmorillonite Nanoparticles as Sorbents of Wastewater Contaminants

Abstract

The synthesis and characterization of silsesquioxane (SSO) films with pendant dodecyl groups and doped with goethite (Gt) or montmorillonite (MMT) nanoparticles were carried out and the new materials tested as sorbents of diverse contaminants. The synthetic method used yielded SSO films with the inorganic substrates homogeneously distributed within the polymeric matrices. The new materials were characterized by SEM, FTIR, XRD, and DSC and tested to evaluate their capability for adsorbing metallic cations, organic dyes, and phosphate, frequent contaminants of industrial effluents. All films were found suitable for removing metallic cations. Results also showed that the SSO films undoped and doped with Gt are primarily apt for anionic compounds removal. Although the SSO films doped with MMT are capable of removing cationic contaminants from aqueous samples, the stiffness of the SSO matrix hinders MMT properties as an adsorbent. The possibility of dispersing nanoparticulate systems in the stable and chemically inert SSO matrices simplifies their application for contaminant removal, particularly because it makes the separation process of the absorbed pollutant from the treated medium easier.

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

“…Figure 2 shows X-Ray diffraction (XRD) pattern of DAS/TEOS, Gt@DAS/TEOS and MMT@DAS/TEOS and the corresponding unmodified minerals (Gt and MMT). The X-ray diffraction pattern of the silsesquioxane microparticles (a) shows a broad peak near 2h = 22.50°, characteristic of the amorphous state of silsesquioxanes [35][36][37] respectively [12]. Some of these peaks also appear in the XRD pattern of MMT@DAS/TEOS (c, black line), with a maximum near 2h = 24.1°, corresponding to the silsesquioxanes, like the one obtained for Gt@DAS/TEOS.…”

Silsesquioxane‐Containing Hybrid Nanomaterials: Fascinating Platforms for Advanced Applications

“…Goethite and MMT have been used to remove contaminants from wastewater. [118] The SSQ films synthesized in that study could be recuperated easily after treatment. This means that the films could be applied as simple surface-contaminant trappers, which would facilitate the adsorption of contaminants.…”

Preparation and Characterization of Highly Ordered Mercapto-Modified Bridged Silsesquioxane for Removing Ammonia-Nitrogen from Water

“…Among these, the bridge group and modified silsesquioxane (SSO) have used a variety of optimization methods to promote the development and application of this mesoporous three-dimensional material because of its unique physical and chemical properties [1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8]. For example, the SSO membrane can be used for the removal of anionic compounds, and it can be easily separated from the treated medium [9]. The SSO with a cage structure is called polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxane (POSS), and POSS was used as a new type of organic-inorganic hybrid material [10].…”