Hybrid Silica Materials Applied for Fuchsine B Color Removal from Wastewaters

Abstract

Hybrid materials, with applications in fuchsine B color removal from wastewaters, were obtained by in situ incorporation of platinum nanoparticles and/or Pt-porphyrin derivatives into silica matrices. The inorganic silica matrices were synthesized by the sol-gel method, conducted in acid-base catalysis in two steps and further characterized by Nitrogen porosimetry, Small Angle Neutron Scattering (SANS), Scanning electron microscopy, Atomic force microscopy and UV-vis spectroscopy. All of the investigated silica hybrid materials were 100% efficient in removing fuchsine B if concentrations were lower than 1 × 10−5 M. For higher concentrations, the silica matrices containing platinum, either modified with Pt-metalloporphyrin or with platinum nanoparticles (PtNPs), are the most efficient materials for fuchsine B adsorption from wastewaters. It can be concluded that the presence of the platinum facilitates chemical interactions with the dye molecule through its amine functional groups. An excellent performance of 197.28 mg fuchsine B/g adsorbent material, in good agreement with the best values mentioned in literature, was achieved by PtNPs-silica material, capable of removing the dye from solutions of 5 × 10−4 M, even in still conditions.

Nanomaterials Based on Collaboration with Multiple Partners: Zn3Nb2O8 Doped with Eu3+ and/or Amino Substituted Porphyrin Incorporated in Silica Matrices for the Discoloration of Methyl Red

“…On the other hand, the porphyrin-silica materials exhibit high synergy as adsorbent materials for CO 2 gas [32,33] or for different dyes, such as fuchsine B [34], methylene blue [33], and Congo red [35].…”

Editorial for Special Issue “Multifunctional Nanomaterials and Hybrid Structures for Sensors, Actuators and Smart Technologies”

“…Silica-based hybrid nanomaterials are being recognized for potential catalytic applications related to environmental mitigation technologies. In particular, silica matrices containing platinum, either as nanoparticles or organometallic conjugates, can be very useful for the removal of dye from wastewater, and one of the studies [ 3 ] provides a detailed quantification of their capacity and efficiency for the removal of fuchsine B dyes.…”