Adsorption properties of MCM-41 materials for the VOCs abatement

The hydrophobic/hydrophilic properties of MCM-41 materials prepared by different methods have been investigated by toluene and water TPD measurements. The best combination of adsorption capacity and selectivity for toluene versus water has been obtained with a pure silica MCM-41 sample prepared by the sol-gel route, which has been assigned to the different nature of its internal surface compared to MCM-41 prepared by hydrothermal treatment. These results indicate that MCM-41 materials present interesting properties for application in processes of VOCs adsorption in air.