Novel adsorbent based on multi-walled carbon nanotubes bonding on the external surface of porous silica gel particulates for trapping volatile organic compounds

A novel adsorbent, 3-amino-propylsilica gel-multi-walled carbon nanotubes (APSG-MW), was prepared by chemical bonding multi-walled carbon nanotubes on silica gel. The surface area of APSG-MW was 98 m2/g, and the particle size was between 60 and 80 mesh with the average size of 215.0 μm. The adsorption capability of the new adsorbent to volatile organic compounds (VOCs) was measured. The effect of water to the adsorbent and its stability during storage were also investigated. Duplicate precision (DP) and distributed volume pair (DVP) on the basis of the EPA TO-17 criteria were estimated. The results showed that the sampling precision of the adsorbent was more superior compared to the MWCNTs because of the better air permeability. The new adsorbent was successfully applied in the determination of VOCs in ambient indoor air.