Trivalent chromium removal from aqueous solutions by a sol–gel synthesized silica adsorbent functionalized with sulphonic acid groups

• Corpuscular sulphonic acid-functionalized silica holds improved uptake of chromium.
• Mesopores on adsorbent facilitate (CH3COO)2Cr+ ion uptake on sulphonate sites.
• Formation of chromium acetate sulphonate complex proposed from XPS results.
• Fixed bed chromium uptake results suggest potential industrial use.

A high capacity hybrid silica adsorbent was synthesized via sol–gel processing with sulphonic acid groups as trivalent chromium complex ions chelators from aqueous solutions. The synthesis included co-condensation of tetraethoxysilane (TEOS) with 3-(mercaptopropyl)trimethoxysilane (MPS), and oxidation of thiol to sulphonic acid groups. Chromium uptake kinetic, batch and fixed-bed experiments were performed to assess the removal of this metal from aqueous solutions. 13C, 29Si CPMAS NMR, FTIR, XPS were used to characterize the adsorbent structure and the nature of chromium complexes on the adsorbent surface. Chromium maximum uptake was obtained at pH 3 (72.8 mg/g). Elemental analysis results showed ligand density of 1.48 mmol sulphonic groups/g. About 407 mL of Cr(III) solution (311 mg/L) were treated to breakthrough point reaching ≤0.06 mg/L at the effluent. These results comply with USEPA regulation for chromium concentration in drinking water (≤0.1 mg/L). The adsorbent shows potential to be used in chromium separations to the industrial level.

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