Adsorption and separation of water-soluble aromatic molecules by cyclodextrin-functionalized mesoporous silica

The adsorption properties of various water-soluble aromatic molecules (p-nitrophenol, p-nitroaniline, m-nitrophenol, p-chlorophenol and phenol), with CD-HMS, a new class of cyclodextrin-containing materials with uniform framework mesoporosity, has been investigated. The adsorption isotherms, uptake kinetics and distribution coefficients of the various solutes with the adsorbents were measured and the results interpreted based on the physicochemical properties of the adsorbents, the chemical structure of the adsorbates, and the inclusion thermodynamics between the adsorbates and the cyclodextrin binding sites. The CD-HMS adsorbents were thus shown to be promising materials for the selective separation of aromatic molecules from water.