Thiol-functionalized silica-mixed matrix membranes for silver capture from aqueous solutions: Experimental results and modeling

The study deals with an aqueous phase application of mixed matrix membranes (MMMs) for silver ion (Ag⁺) capture. Silica particles were functionalized with 3-mercaptopropyltrimethoxy silane (MPTMS) to introduce free thiol (-SH) groups on the surface. The particles were used as the dispersed phase in the polysulfone or cellulose acetate polymer matrix. The membranes were prepared by the phase inversion method to create more open and interconnected porous structures suitable for liquid phase applications. The effects of the silica properties such as particle size, specific surface area, and porous/nonporous morphology on the silver ion capture capacity were studied. It was demonstrated that the membranes are capable of selectively capturing silver from a solution containing significant concentrations of other metal ions like Ca²⁺. The membranes were studied to quantify the dynamic capacity for silver ion capture and its dependence on residence time through the adjustment of transmembrane pressure. The thiol-Ag⁺ interaction was quantified with quartz crystal microbalance in a continuous flow mode experiment and the observations were compared with the membrane results. One-dimensional unsteady state model with overall volumetric mass transfer coefficient was developed and solved to predict the silver concentration in the liquid phase and the solid silica phase along the membrane thickness at varying time. The breakthrough data predicted using the model is comparable with the experimental observations. The study demonstrates successful application of the functionalized silica-mixed matrix membranes for selective aqueous phase Ag⁺ capture with high capacity at low transmembrane pressures. The technique can be easily extended to other applications by altering the functionalized groups on the silica particles.