Evaluation of toluene adsorptivity of layered microporous nanocomposites using biphenylene-bridged alkoxysilanes and layered silicic acid.

Adsorption behaviors of toluene were investigated for microporous layered organic-inorganic nanocomposites by alkoxysilyation of a crystalline layered silicate, ilerite, with biphenyele-bridged alkoxysilanes in order to examine the ability as an adsorbent for volatile organic compounds (VOCs). The toluene adsorption isotherms for the nanocomposites showed that the nanocomposites adsorbed well in the relatively low relative pressure region (p/p0 < 0.03) in comparison with other porous silica materials such as silicalite, BETA-type zeolite, silica-pillared kanemite, and teteramethylammonium-intercalatated saponite. Langmuir-Freundrich analysis revealed that the adsorptivity is due to the strong interaction be- tween the biphenyelene unit and toluene molecule. As a result, we found that the nanocomposites have a potential application for adsorbent to remove VOCs.