Highly Selective Removal of Pb(II) Ions Using One-Pot Thiol- Functionalized Nanoporous Silica with a Low Amount of Directing Agent

In this study, thiol-functionalized nanostructure silica type MCM-41 was successfully prepared via the facile one-pot hydrothermal method with a low amount of directing agent. The mesoporous silica indicated a remarkable adsorption behavior toward Pb(II) ions without any interference of the competing ions. The main experimental parameters affecting removal efficiency of the adsorbent were examined, and the optimized conditions were achieved to be 6, 50 mg, and 30 min for solution pH, the adsorbent dosage, and contact time, respectively. The adsorbent was triumphantly used for the removal of Pb(II) ions from real water samples with a notable removal efficiency of 95%. The concentrations of the competitive ions in the solution were about 10 to 100 times more than Pb(II) ions. The results show that other ions had no interfering effect on the removal efficiency of Pb(II) ions. It means that SH-SiO2 has excellent selectivity for Pb(II) ions and is an appropriate candidate for removing Pb(II) ions from the real samples.