Adsorption of Ce(IV) Ions from Aqueous Solution by Silica Aerogels

The adsorption process of Ce(IV) ions from aqueous solution by the silica aerogels was studied. The silica aerogels with hydrophobicity were prepared by the sol-gel process, supercritical drying, and heat treatment. The SEM image and nitrogen adsorption-desorption isotherm show that the heat-treated silica aerogel was a co-continuous porous structure with high BET surface area and narrow pore size distribution. The adsorption of Ce(IV) ions onto the silica aerogels was found to be fitted well by pseudo-second-order kinetics and Langmuir isotherm model. The activation energy for Ce(IV) adsorption onto silica aerogels could be calculated to be about 17.88 kJ/mol, which implied that the attractive forces of adsorption were weak electrostatic forces accompanying most ion-exchange reactions. The thermodynamic parameters showed that the adsorption process was spontaneous and endothermic.