| Mobil Composition of Matter-41 (MCM-41) is a mesoporous molecular sieve formed by silicate and alumosilicate solids, which can be synthesized through different methods. The most common one is a hydrothermal method using cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTMABr). With its large surface area, high thermal stability, uniform pore system with adjustable pore sizes, and ultra-high adsorption quality, MCM-41 is used in many environmental, industrial, and biological applications as adsorbent, sensor, and catalyst.
MCM-41 has been used in wastewater dye removal, adsorption of organic and inorganic pollutants, and drug delivery system devices. Examples include removal of organic materials such as nitrobenzene and phenol, and inorganic materials such as lead, copper, cadmium, and radioactive wastes from water. MCM-41 can also be used for sensor application and has many advantages over traditional methods for metals detection.
This systematic study will focus on MCM-41 as an adsorbent to remove heavy metals and hardness simultaneously from water that can be useful for cleanup and water treatment application. In this study, MCM-41 was first synthesized by hydrothermal method, and functionalized with zinc chloride, to form ZnCl2-MCM-41, with the use of microwave method. The final product was characterized by TEM images to demonstrate its mesoporous structure. The adsorption capacities of ZnCl2-MCM-41, achieved from batch studies, were as high as 2846.4 mg/g, 1302.74 mg/g, and 139.27 mg/g for lead (Pb2+), mercury (Hg2+), and chromium (Cr3+) respectively. The capacities for removal of the cations and anions by ZnCl2-MCM-41 were found to be 47.94 mg/g, 279.28 mg/g, and 219.48 mg/g for calcium (Ca2+), potassium (K+), and nitrate (NO3-), respectively. |