Synthesis and Adsorption Properties of Amino-Functionalized H2N-Zr-Ce-SBA-15 Mesoporous Materials with Short Mesochannels

Amino-functionalized H2N-Zr-Ce-SBA-15 (H2N-ZCS) mesoporous materials with unique hexagonal platelet morphologies and short channels were synthesized by a post-grafting method using [1-(2-amino-ethyl)-3-aminopropyl]trimethoxysilane (AAPTS) and tetraethyl orthosilicate (TEOS) as a silica source, zirconyl chloride and cerous nitrate as precursors, and pluronic P123 triblock copolymer as a structure directing agent. The as-synthesized materials were characterized by low-angle X-ray diffraction (LXRD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), thermogravimetry (TG), and N-2 adsorption/desorption isotherms. Characterization revealed that the functionalized H2N-ZCS mesoporous materials have unique hexagonal platelet morphologies with short channels and they possess a highly ordered two-dimensional hexagonal mesoporous structure similar to conventional SBA-15. The uptake of anionic dye onto the organic functionalized H2N-ZCS and H2N-SBA-15 were compared. The results demonstrate that H2N-ZCS materials have higher adsorption rates and adsorption capacities compared with H2N-SBA-15. The resultant H2N-ZCS materials with short channels are superior to conventional SBA-15 in terms of fiber morphology facilitating molecular diffusion when used in adsorption, separation, and catalytic processes.