Recent Advances in Silica-Based Materials for the Removal of Hexavalent Chromium: A Review

Hexavalent chromium [Cr(VI)], one of the most toxic contaminants, is released in the environment due to various anthropogenic activities. Exposure of Cr(VI) can pose a serious threat to the public health as well as flora and fauna. Effective treatment of Cr(VI) is, therefore, very essential from safety, health, and environment points of view. The present review focuses on the development of silica-based materials for the adsorption of Cr(VI) from wastewater. After discussing toxicity issues and general removal methods of Cr(VI), the importance of silica materials are highlighted. The silica has different shapes, sizes, surface areas, and pore diameters and, hence, can play a vital role in designing the adsorbent. They can be modified into organic, inorganic, polymeric, biological, and ionic liquid based materials. Therefore, they are broadly classified into these five categories. The adsorption isotherms and kinetics of these materials for Cr(VI) are discussed and compared with each other. Future prospects based on the findings of the review article are summarized in the end which mainly emphasizes the importance of biosorbents and ionic liquid immobilized silica materials for the treatment of Cr(VI).