Adsorption of sulfamethoxazole from solution by mesoporous silica MCM-48

Mesoporous silica with cubic structure, MCM-48, was synthesized using Ludox HS-40 and cetyl trimethylammonium bromide (CTAB) as a source of silica and template, respectively. The material obtained was used to adsorb sulfamethoxazole (SMX). The morphology of MCM-48 was observed using SEM-EDX and functional groups of MCM-48 were studied using Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) Spectroscopy. Parameters used to study the adsorption process were contact time and concentration. The adsorption of SMX on MCM-48 followed the pseudo-second-order model. A Freundlich isotherm fitted better the adsorption than a Langmuir isotherm with an adsorption capacity of 2.22 mg g-1