3-Aminopropyltrimethoxysilane Functionalized Mesoporous Materials and Uptake of Metal Ions

gamma-Aminopropyl-functionalized mesoporous materials were synthesized by chemical modifcation of a HCl-ethanol washed mesoporous silica (OSU-6-W) with 3-aminopropyltri-methoxysilane (APTMS). The synthesized inorganic-organic hybrids were characterized by solid state Si-29 NMR spectroscopy, a titration method and elemental analysis of the modified samples. The average numbers of pendant groups were found to be 2.47 and 4.71 groups/nm(2). Surface area analysis showed that these materials have channel diameters of 43.6 and, 36.2 angstrom and surface areas of 1023 and 709 m(2)/g. Infrared spectroscopy, solid state NMR for C-13 and Si-29 nuclei and X-ray diffraction patterns are in agreement with the success of the preparation of organically-modified mesoporous silicas. Adsorption experiments of Cu2+, Zn2+ and Cd2+ shows a remarkably high adsorption capacities with an increase in the surface density of amino groups and affected by the ' pH of the medium, surface areas and pore sizes.