Adsorption properties of silica-based sorbents containing phosphonic acid residues

Isotherms are measured for nitrogen, n-hexane, triethylamine, and water vapor adsorption on silicas of different origins, the surface layers of which contain functional groups of the ≡Si(CH2)2P(O)(OH)2 composition, namely, ethylene- and phenylene-bridged polysilsesquioxane xerogels produced by the sol-gel method, silica microspheres synthesized from tetraethoxysilane in the presence of [CH3(CH2)17N(CH3)3]Br as a template by spray-drying method, and SBA-15 mesoporous silica produced based on tetraethoxysilane using Pluronic 123 as a template. It is shown that all of the samples possess high specific surface areas, while the types of adsorption isotherms and the accessibility of active acidic sites for adsorption interactions with electron-donor molecules depend on the structures of pores and surface layers, which are governed by the methods of synthesis and postsynthesis sample treatment.