A New Schiff Base Organically Modified Silica Aerogel-Like Material for Metal Ion Adsorption with Ni Selectivity

Nickel has several industrial uses and is a valuable metal, making its selective separation recycling priority goal. A novel adsorbent, Schiff base organically modified silica (ORMOSIL) aerogel, was prepared, for nickel removal from wastewater with other metal ions, by including salen ionophore in the silica-based network. The newly developed adsorbent takes advantage of salen’s selectivity high porosity aerogels. aerogel-like prepared via sol-gel chemistry, using coprecursor approach ambient pressure drying. inclusion network accomplished reacting an amine-containing precursor aldehyde confirmed nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) analysis. shrunk only 10% after evaporative drying, which resulted highly porous material (85% porosity, 4 cm3 g−1 specific pore volume). low surface area 28 m2 g-1 due to predominantly macroporous structure (mean diameter 563 nm). Adsorption isotherms kinetic curves single binary mixtures cations at room temperature were used assess adsorbent. adsorption follows BET (Brunauer-Emmett-Teller) trend. Due proximity oxygen nitrogen atoms steric hindrance their neighboring atoms, it likely that smallest hydrated can act as coordination center interact both donor atoms. Thus, fairly removed (50 mg g-1), while barely interacted (cadmium maximum 5 g-1). estimated coefficient ranges 1.8, relation copper, 9.4 relatively cadmium, be relevant contexts, instance, electroplating sludge.