Application of mesoporous MCM-48 and SBA-15 materials for the separation of biochemicals dissolved in aqueous solution

The application of molecular sieves for the separation and purification of biological molecules has been limited because of their available pore size (<1.3 nm). With the development of synthetic mesoporous materials, the available pore size range (1.5-10 nm) has been extended. They have pores large enough to allow access for a number of biological molecules. This work investigated the use of two mesoporous materials (MCM-48 and SBA-15) with different pore sizes and structures for adsorption of cephalosporin C as a model compound of biological molecules in terms of ethanol concentration, solution pH, and temperature. It was found that these materials have the potential for the separation and purification processes of biochemicals including antibiotics, amino acids, and proteins.