Synthesis and characterization of imine-modified silicas obtained by the reaction of essential oil of Eucalyptus citriodora, 3-aminopropyltriethoxysilane and tetraethylorthosilicate

Abstract Imine-modified silicas were synthesized by the reaction of the essential oil of Eucalyptus citriodora , 3-aminopropyltriethoxysilane and tetraethylorthosilicate by different methods. The imine supported on silica was characterized by FT-IR-spectroscopy using the attenuated total reflection (ATR) technique, the Brunauer–Emmett–Teller (BET) method and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). These silicas have shown a large amount of organic matter incorporated on the surface, which affects their textural properties. The hydrolysis reaction of the imine-modified silica leads to the formation of products different from those expected.