Zirconium ribonucleotide surface-functionalized mesoporous SBA-15 materials with high capacity of CO2 capture

Zirconium ribonucleotides were grafted onto SBA-15 by a one-pot condensation process using ZrOCl2 and 5′-adenylic acid (or 5′-cytidylic acid) as precursors. The ordered mesoporous structure with high surface area was well preserved in the obtained materials, exhibiting high capacity for CO2 capture of 1.96–1.99 mmol g−1 at 25 °C and 1.0 atm, with excellent reusability. The large CO2 capture capacity was comparable to or even higher than the previously reported amino functionalized mesoporous silica materials, which benefited from the large amount of amino and hydroxyl groups in the hybrid pore wall. It was the first illustration of substituted phosphate surface functionalized mesoporous silica materials, which would open a new area for the preparation of hybrid materials from biomolecules.

► Mesoporous SBA-15 was surface-functionalized with zirconium ribonucleotides to form hybrid adsorbent.
► The resulted mesoporous structure of high surface area exhibited high capture capacity of CO2 with excellent reusability.
► The large CO2 capture capacity benefited from plenty of amino and hydroxyl groups in the hybrid pore walls.
► This is the first illustration of substituted phosphate surface functionalized mesoporous silica materials.