Removal of 12 selected pharmaceuticals by granular mesoporous silica SBA-15 in aqueous phase

• Granular ordered mesoporous silica SBA-15 (GMS) is synthesized by using the facile synthesis method.
• Pore properties of GMS are similar with that of powder-type mesoporous silica SBA-15.
• GMS has the great adsorption capacity for 12 selected pharmaceuticals.
• GMS shows high applicable potentiality as an adsorbent in the aqueous phase.

Granular mesoporous silica SBA-15 (GMS) synthesized by a new and facile one step method was investigated to remove a series of pharmaceutical compounds from aqueous solutions. Characterization results obtained from TEM, XRD, and surface and porosity analyzer reveal that GMS synthesized by using inorganic and organic binder has similar pore properties with the powder-type mesoporous silica SBA-15 and does not severely reduce the Brunauer–Emmett–Teller (BET) surface area and pore volume by preventing destruction of the pores after granulation step through new synthesis method. Evaluation of GMS as an adsorbent based on adsorption kinetic, isotherm, and effect of pH shows the great adsorption capacity for selected 12 selected pharmaceuticals removal in aqueous solution. In addition, the adsorption and regeneration efficiency of GMS was maintained for given adsorption-regeneration cycles. Moreover, the column experiment to remove pharmaceuticals in industrial pharmaceutical wastewater revealed that GMS has a great potential for its real field application.

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