Zirconium Containing Periodic Mesoporous Organosilica: The Effect of Zr on CO<sub>2</sub> Sorption at Ambient Conditions

Two series of zirconium-incorporated-periodic-mesoporous-organosilica (Zr–PMO) materials were successfully prepared, via a co-condensation strategy, in the presence of Pluronic P123 triblock copolymer. The first series of Zr–PMO was prepared using tris[3-(trimethoxysilyl)propyl]isocyanurate (ICS), t...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Chamila A. Gunathilake, Rohan S. Dassanayake, Chacrawarthige A. N. Fernando, Mietek Jaroniec
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2022-06-01
Series:Journal of Composites Science
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2504-477X/6/6/168
Description
Summary:Two series of zirconium-incorporated-periodic-mesoporous-organosilica (Zr–PMO) materials were successfully prepared, via a co-condensation strategy, in the presence of Pluronic P123 triblock copolymer. The first series of Zr–PMO was prepared using tris[3-(trimethoxysilyl)propyl]isocyanurate (ICS), tetraethylorthosilicate (TEOS), and zirconyl chloride octahydrate(ZrCO), denoted as Zr-I-PMO, where I refers to ICS. The second series was synthesized using bis(triethoxysilyl)benzene (BTEE), TEOS, and ZrCO as precursors, named as Zr-B-PMO, where B refers to BTEE. Zr–PMO samples exhibit type (IV) adsorption isotherms, with a distinct H2-hysteresis loop and well-developed structural parameters, such as pore volume, pore width, high surface area, and narrow pore-size distribution. Structural properties were studied by varying the Zr:Si ratio, adding TEOS at different time intervals, and changing the amount of block copolymer-Pluronic P123 used as well as the calcination temperature. Surface characteristics were tailored by precisely controlling the Zr:Si ratio, upon varying the amount of TEOS present in the mesostructures. The addition of TEOS at different synthesis stages, notably, enhanced the pore size and surface area of the resulting Zr-I-PMO samples more than the Zr-B-PMO samples. Changing the amount of block copolymer, also, played a significant role in altering the textural and morphological properties of the Zr-I-PMO and Zr-B-PMO samples. Optimizing the amount of Pluronic P123 added is crucial for tailoring the surface properties of Zr–PMOs. The prepared Zr–PMO samples were examined for use in CO<sub>2</sub> sorption, at ambient temperature and pressure (25 °C, 1.2 bar pressure). Zr–PMO samples displayed a maximum CO<sub>2</sub> uptake of 2.08 mmol/g, at 25 °C and 1.2 bar pressure. However, analogous zirconium samples, without any bridging groups, exhibited a significantly lower CO<sub>2</sub> uptake, of 0.72 mmol/g, under the same conditions. The presence of isocyanurate- and benzene-bridging groups in Zr-I-PMO and Zr-B-PMO samples enhances the CO<sub>2</sub> sorption. Interestingly, results illustrate that Zr–PMO materials show potential in capturing CO<sub>2</sub>, at ambient conditions.
ISSN:2504-477X