Analytical Study on the Adsorption of Cobalt Ions Using MCM-41 Modified with Chloropropyltriethoxysilane

Functional materials for environmental remediation can be developed from silica extracted from agricultural waste. In this study, MCM-41 was functionalized with 3-chloropropyltriethoxy (CPTES) to yield MCM-CPTES. The material was characterized and successfully applied for solid–liquid extraction of cobalt ions from aqueous solutions. Elemental analysis was conducted to investigate the amount of nitrogen, hydrogen, and oxygen in the species. Several distinct peaks corresponding to MCM-CPTES were observed in its FTIR spectrum. The highly ordered hexagonal nature of the structure of MCM-CPTES was confirmed via XRD and TEM analyses. Quantitatively, the prepared mesoporous exhibited high specific surface area (239.960 m2 g−1), pore diameter (5.150 nm), and total pore volume (0.309 cm3 g−1). FESEM imagery demonstrated that the MCM-CPTES particulates are smooth and have spherical agglomerates. Optimization of absorbent mass, contact time, concentration of Co(II), and pH enabled an effective method for the uptake of Co(II) from aqueous solutions, which can be successfully applied in environmental remediation and purification systems.