Ureasil-Poly(ethylene oxide) Hybrid Matrix for Selective Adsorption and Separation of Dyes from Water

Herein, we present a cross-linked ureasil-polyether-siloxane hybrid (labeled PEO500) that can function as a stimuli-sensitive material; it swells or shrinks in response to changes in the environmental conditions and it can also, effectively and selectively, remove dyes from water solution. We also developed a methodology to separate a mixture of cationic and anionic dyes present in water. Addition of PEO500 to an aqueous solution of the anionic orange II (OII) or the ponceau S (PS) dye rendered the solution colorless, but an aqueous solution of cationic methylene blue (MB) remained unchanged after 2 h of contact with the insoluble matrix. In situ small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) showed that the distance of siloxane nanodomains are strongly affected by the swelling or shriking. By in situ UV–vis adsorption experiments, we found that the kinetics of OII and PS removal followed a pseudo-first-order rate equation. We accomplished B3LYP calculations, to establish which sites on the matrix interacted with the dyes and to investigate the nature of the matrix-dye chemical bonds. On the basis of the experimental and theoretical investigations, we proposed some mechanisms to explain how PEO500 adsorbs anionic dyes efficiently. This “smart” matrix is potentially applicable as an efficient, fast, selective, and convenient device in water treatment and stimuli-sensitive response materials.