Silica Microspheres-in-Pores Composite Monoliths with Fluorescence and Potential for Water Remediation

• Published in: Nanomaterials (Basel, Switzerland) Vol. 11; no. 10; p. 2681
• Main Authors: Ahmed, Adham, Myers, Peter, Zhang, Haifei
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Switzerland MDPI AG 12.10.2021; MDPI
• Subjects: Carbon; Catalysis; Composite materials; Dyes; emulsion templating; Energy storage; Fluorescence; Fluorescent dyes; Fluorescent indicators; Heavy metals; Metal ions; Microspheres; Mineral oils; Nanoparticles; Polymers; Pores; Porous materials; Prepolymers; Reagents; Remediation; ship-in-a-bottle synthesis; Silica; silica microspheres; silica–polymer composites; Silicon dioxide; Silver; Wastewater; Water pollution; water remediation; Zeolites; silica microspheres; ship-in-a-bottle synthesis; silica–polymer composites; emulsion templating; water remediation
• ISSN: 2079-4991; 2079-4991
• DOI: 10.3390/nano11102681

Water pollution is a severe worldwide issue. Constructing advanced porous composite materials has been an efficient route to water remediation via adsorption. In this study, a unique microspheres-in-pores monolithic structure was fabricated. An emulsion-templated polymer monolith was first prepared and silica microspheres were subsequently formed in the porous polymer. A silica precursor was modified with a fluorescent dye and co-condensed with other precursors to fabricate porous composites with fluorescent properties, which were enhanced by the presence of Ag nanoparticles in the polymer matrix. This unique material showed good promise in water remediation by removing organic dyes and heavy metal ions from wastewater via a flowing filter or monolithic column separation.