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Fabrication and characterization of a novel nanoporous nanoaerogel based on gelatin as a biosorbent for removing heavy metal ions

  • Original Paper: Sol–gel and hybrid materials with surface modification for applications
  • Published:
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Abstract

In this research, we proposed a synthesis of nano-silica aerogel (NSA, S1–S3) and nano-silica aerogel gelatin (NSA-G, S4–S6), which were hybrid aerogel by sol–gel method via ambient pressure drying. The aerogels’ backbone was modified by montmorillonite (MMT) in NSA and for NSA-G gelatin (G) and MMT were used to stabilize their building block. Also, free hydroxyl groups on their surface were changed to TMS-O and became more hydrophobic aerogels. The porosity results showed that the density of the optimum aerogels (S2 and S5) ranged from 0.084 to 0.047 g/cm3. It was also found that the hydrophobicity of the NSA-G aerogel decreased with increasing the content of gelatin into the silica aerogels. However, these aerogels were fully characterized by FTIR, FESEM, EDS, XRD, BET, and TGA/DTA analysis and they used as the adsorbent of Cu2+ and Ni2+ ions in aqueous media. The prepared aerogels effectively could remove these heavy metals from the aqueous media and NSA-G absorbent also illustrated a favorable result for adsorption. Also, the recyclability test for four adsorption–desorption of aerogels cycles was examined and they had a good effect even after the fourth cycle.

Highlights

  • The novel NSA and NSA-G as effective adsorbents were successfully prepared.

  • The adsorbents exhibited high sorption capacity for adsorbing Cu2+ and Ni2+ ions.

  • TGA/DTG of NSA-G exhibiting more thermal resistance in compare to NSA.

  • FESEM result indicating more compact structure for NSA-G with size 46–77 nm.

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Acknowledgements

The authors extend their appreciation to the Azad University of Arak-Iran for financial support of this work.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Young Researchers and Elite club, Arak branch, Islamic Azad University, Arak, Iran

    Narjes Nematidil & Shabnam Nezami

  2. Environmental Laboratory, Department of Chemical Engineering, Shiraz University, Shiraz, Iran

    Farzad Mirzaie

  3. Department of Chemistry, College of Sciences, Shiraz University, Shiraz, 71946-84795, Iran

    Edris Ebrahimi

  4. Department of Oncology University of Alberta, Cross Cancer Institute, Edmonton, AB, T6G 1Z2, Canada

    Edris Ebrahimi

  5. Department of chemistry, Arak branch, Islamic Azad University, Arak, Iran

    Mohammad Sadeghi & Nina Farmani

  6. Young Researchers and Elite club, Khorramabad branch, Islamic Azad University, Khorramabad, Iran

    Hossein Sadeghi

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  1. Narjes Nematidil
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Correspondence to Mohammad Sadeghi.

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Nematidil, N., Nezami, S., Mirzaie, F. et al. Fabrication and characterization of a novel nanoporous nanoaerogel based on gelatin as a biosorbent for removing heavy metal ions. J Sol-Gel Sci Technol 97, 721–733 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10971-020-05439-0

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