Removal of Pb2+ Ions from Water by Surfactant-templated Mesoporous Silicates

silicate materials have been used as adsorbents for the removal of heavy metals from water bytemplating agents in synthetic processes can act as adsorption sites for heavy metals. Three mesoporous silicates-SBA-15, MCM-41, and HMS were synthesized using, respectively, block copolymer, hexadecyltrimethylamoniumbromide(HDTMA), and dodecyamine as surfactants. X-ray diffraction and N2 gas adsorption analysis confirmed that the meso-porous silicates were well prepared and FT-IR spectra resulted in the existence of the surfactants in as-synthesized meso-porous silicates and the removal of surfactants after calcination. The interactions between Pb2+ ions and the mesoporoussilicate materials with/without surfactants were observed. In adsorption kinetic experiments, it revealed that the calcined2+ ions. In contrast, thesurfactant-loaded MCM-41 and HMS showed, respectively, the adsorption capacities of 26.60 and 115.16 mg/g whichwere acquired through the fits of adsorption kinetic data to the pseudo second order kinetic model. The adsorptioncapacities were comparable to those of other mesoporous adsorbents for heavy metals.