Scientists of Russian Academy of Sciences create sorbents for purifying water from industrial dyes

MOSCOW, 22 September (BelTA - TV  BRICS) - Employees of the Nikolaev Institute of Inorganic Chemistry of the Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences have developed a new type of sorbent based on silicon dioxide (silica). These materials are capable of capturing a wide variety of dyes used in industry, both natural and synthetic. This is reported by the official website of the Russian Academy of Sciences.

Dyes from the textile, leather and other industries often end up in wastewater, polluting the environment. The new sorbents could form the basis for filters that will effectively purify water from such impurities. In addition, some of the developments will be suitable for creating hybrid pigments that are in demand in manufacturing.

The main feature of silica is that its surface can be "customised". Depending on the modification, the particles acquire a positive or negative charge, which allows them to attract different types of dyes. Scientists have created four variants of sorbents with different charges and have shown that each of them can work selectively, i.e., capture specific pollutants.

"Silica combines unique physical and chemical properties. Obtaining a set of sorbents with different characteristics opens up the possibility of purifying water from all types of dyes used in industry," said Nikita Shaparenko, a research fellow at RAS, Ph.D. in Chemistry.

The development has already been tested using physicochemical methods. In the future, it could be used on an industrial scale, both for wastewater filtration and for the production of new materials, including pigments and even coatings for displays.