Open Access Nano Express

Mesoporous Silica: A Suitable Adsorbent for Amines

Cyrus Zamani1*, Xavi Illa1, Sara Abdollahzadeh-Ghom2, JR Morante2 and Albert Romano Rodríguez1

Author Affiliations

1 MIND-IN2UB, Dept. Electrònica, Universitat de Barcelona, Martí i Franquès, 1, 08028, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain

2 ME2, Dept. Electrònica, Universitat de Barcelona, Martí i Franquès, 1, 08028, Barcelona, Spain

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Nanoscale Research Letters 2009, 4:1303-1308 doi:10.1007/s11671-009-9396-5

Published: 23 July 2009

Abstract

Mesoporous silica with KIT-6 structure was investigated as a preconcentrating material in chromatographic systems for ammonia and trimethylamine. Its adsorption capacity was compared to that of existing commercial materials, showing its increased adsorption power. In addition, KIT-6 mesoporous silica efficiently adsorbs both gases, while none of the employed commercial adsorbents did. This means that KIT-6 Mesoporous silica may be a good choice for integrated chromatography/gas sensing micro-devices.

Keywords:
Ammonia; Trimethylamine; KIT-6; Mesoporous silica; Preconcentration; Desorption