Adsorption of formaldehyde vapor by amine-functionalized mesoporous silica materials

The amine-functionalized mesoporous silica materials were prepared via the co-condensation reaction of tetraethoxysilane and three types of organoalkoxysilanes: 3-aminopropyl-trimethoxysilane, n-(2-aminoethyl)-3-aminopropyltrimethoxysilane, and 3-(2-(2-aminoehtylamino)ethylamino) propyl-trimethoxysilane. Cetyltrimethylammonium bromide was used as a template for forming pores. Specific surface area and pore volume of the amine-functionalized mesoporous silica materials were determined using surface area and pore size analyzer. Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscope was employed for identifying the functional groups on pore surface. In addition, the amine-functionalized mesoporous silica materials were applied as adsorbents for adsorbing formaldehyde vapor. FTIR spectra showed the evidence of the reaction between formaldehyde molecules and amine groups on pore surface of adsorbents. The equilibrium data of formaldehyde adsorbed on the adsorbents were analyzed using the Langmuir, Freundlich and Temkin isotherm. The sample functionalized from n-(2-aminoethyl)-3-aminopropyltrimethoxysilane showed the highest adsorption capacity owing to its amine groups and the large pore diameter.