Low cost thiol-functionalized mesoporous silica, KIT-6-SH, as a useful adsorbent for cadmium ions removal: A study on the adsorption isotherms and kinetics of KIT-6-SH

In this study, we have prepared and characterized 3-(trimethoxysilyl)-1-propanethiol functionalized mesoporous silica, KIT-6-SH, then investigated its efficacy in the sense of cadmium removal. KIT-6-SH was characterized by FT-IR spectroscopy, TGA, X-ray diffraction (XRD) and field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM). The obliteration of cadmium ions by HIT-6-SH was found to be mainly governed by surface adsorption. The elimination of cadmium ions from aqueous solutions was conducted using a batch method. Factors including the initial metal ion concentration, pH, and contact time were determined to be influential parameters on the sorption process. The sorption isotherm data were clearly described by the Langmuir model and maximum adsorption capacity for KIT-6-SH was 85 mg g(-1). Moreover, a pseudo-second-order kinetic model was found to govern the sorption kinetics. According to these findings, it can be concluded that KIT-6-SH is well suited for the efficient and selective removal of cadmium ions from aqueous solutions.