Rivera Jiménez, Sindia M.

Profile Picture

Filters

20111
Reset filters

Settings

Citations

Publication Search Results

Now showing 1 - 1 of 1
  • Thumbnail Image
    Publication
    Synthesis and characterization of modified mesoporous silicates for the adsorption of pharmaceutical and personal care products
    (2011) Rivera Jiménez, Sindia M.; Hernández Maldonado, Arturo J.; College of Engineering; Suleiman, David; Hernández Rivera, Samuel P.; Martínez Iñesta, María M.; Department of Chemical Engineering; Mina, Nairmen
    PPCPs have been recently identified as emerging contaminants due to their persistence in our potable water supply and aquatic systems. Unfortunately, traditional water treatment methods are inadequate for the removal of PPCPs resulting in their discharge into surface water. Current initiatives are focused on the possible removal of PPCPs using adsorption methods, which could be easily implemented in current water treatment facilities. Considering that current PPCP levels are still well below the parts-per-million (ppm) mark, ultrapurification of water sources via adsorption could only be achieved with materials designed based on stronger reversible chemical interactions, which enables the material to be highly selectively to the target compound but in the same way be easily regenerated by engineering means. This work was aimed at the preparation of novel sorbents with high adsorption capacity and selectivity for ultra-purification in water applications, in particular the use of a bottom-up approach to design adsorbents using transition metals as adsorption sites on mesoporous silica supports. To reach these goals various challenges were addressed, including the selection of appropriate supports, metal anchoring to avoid aqueous leaching, optimal metal loading and the fundamental understanding of the adsorption process. In general, it was found that grafting postmodification is a better technique for anchoring metal, that stability of the silicate support is an important factor in their design, that adsorption depends on the metal nature, loading and pH, that adsorption mechanism may be driven by weak chemisorption, and that transition metals can be successfully loaded onto pure siliceous and hydrophobic carbon coated mesoporous supports.