Amino-Functionalized Silica@Resorcinol–Formaldehyde Nanocomposites for the Removal of Cr(VI) from Aqueous Solutions

Abstract

Amino-functionalized silica@resorcinol–formaldehyde nanocomposites (NH2-SiO2@RF) were synthesized for the removal of Cr(VI) from aqueous solutions using the sol–gel technique with two simple preparation steps, including the one-pot synthesis of SiO2@RF using the Stöber method and (3-aminopropyl)triethoxysilane (APTES) modification. The morphology, particle size, functional group, and thermal stability of the obtained nanocomposites were systematically characterized, with the results indicating a uniform sphericity with a particle size of 200 nm and high thermal stability. The adsorption results demonstrated that the preferred pH value was 2, and the data were well fitted with the Langmuir and Temkin isotherm models and quasi-second-order kinetic equation, indicating a high adsorption capacity. The maximum Cr(VI) adsorption capacity from the nonlinear form of the Langmuir model was 272.6 mg·g−1. The intra-particle diffusion model accurately described the adsorption of Cr(VI) onto NH2-SiO2@RF. The changes in Gibb’s free energy, enthalpy, and entropy revealed that Cr(VI) adsorption onto NH2-SiO2@RF was a spontaneous and endothermic process. Furthermore, high selectivity was demonstrated in the material for the removal of Cr(VI) from commonly coexisting ions. The obtained nanocomposites had good regeneration properties and maintained a removal rate above 85% in the fifth adsorption–desorption experiments. Moreover, under the optimized adsorption conditions, the obtained nanocomposites were preliminarily applied to tannery wastewater, demonstrating an excellent removal effect, which indicates their potential application value.