Porous organic–inorganic hybrids for removal of amines via donor–acceptor interaction

Highly porous organic–inorganic hybrids have been prepared from 3-(2,4-dinitrophenylamino)propyltriethoxysilane (DNPTES) and tetraethylorthosilicate (TEOS) by sol-gel method. The hybrids were characterized by FT-IR spectroscopy, UV–vis spectroscopy and elemental analysis, and their pore characteristics were studied by nitrogen sorption porosimetry. The applicability of the hybrids as adsorbent of amines was investigated, and it was demonstrated that aniline and ethylenediamine could be removed from their hexane solutions.