Removal of low concentration CH3SH with regenerable Cu-doped mesoporous silica

Shengpan Peng; Wenhui Li; Yuzhou Deng; Weiman Li; Xiang Ma; Yunfa Chen

doi:10.1016/j.jcis.2017.12.005

Removal of low concentration CH₃SH with regenerable Cu-doped mesoporous silica

J Colloid Interface Sci. 2018 Mar 1:513:903-910. doi: 10.1016/j.jcis.2017.12.005. Epub 2017 Dec 5.

Authors

Shengpan Peng¹, Wenhui Li¹, Yuzhou Deng¹, Weiman Li², Xiang Ma¹, Yunfa Chen³

Affiliations

¹ State Key Laboratory of Multiphase Complex Systems, Institute of Process Engineering, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190, PR China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, No. 19A Yuquan Road, Beijing 100049, PR China.
² State Key Laboratory of Multiphase Complex Systems, Institute of Process Engineering, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190, PR China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, No. 19A Yuquan Road, Beijing 100049, PR China; Center for Excellence in Regional Atmospheric Environment, Institute of Urban Environment, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xiamen 361021, PR China.
³ State Key Laboratory of Multiphase Complex Systems, Institute of Process Engineering, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190, PR China; Center for Excellence in Regional Atmospheric Environment, Institute of Urban Environment, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xiamen 361021, PR China. Electronic address: [email protected].

PMID: 29278856
DOI: 10.1016/j.jcis.2017.12.005

Abstract

Mercaptans are highly volatile compounds responsible for disagreeable odors and very low olfactory threshold, especially for CH₃SH (0.4 ppvb). To the best knowledge of us, approach for controlling low-concentrated odors (i.e. 1-10 ppm) is scarcely reported. In this research, Cu-doped mesoporous silica was synthesized for removal of low-concentrated CH₃SH. The as-prepared samples show considerably thermal and mechanical stability and could be thermal-regenerated. Copper loading ratio and humidity have significant impacts on eliminating odors. According to XRD, TEM, BET, NMR and EPR, we deduce that surface groups on CuO nanoparticles and the SiOCu group are highly possibly transformed into a hydrated complex which is much more effective in capturing CH₃SH with its empty Cu-3d orbit. Although CH₃SH has to compete with water for absorption sites, it is always the "winner" owing to the strong chelating ability between SH group and Cu (Ⅱ).

Keywords: Absorption mechanism; CH(3)SH removal; Copper; Mesoporous silica; Regeneration.